Faceless Words- 顔のない言葉
by interconnected-dream
Summary: She knows that Envy is a sin, and so is Greed. But sometimes there's no holding back needless desire. Appearance stolen, vocal chords shut down. A mysterious Academy that might help her get everything she wished for. Now she can only wonder how long the charade will last. Eventual Rin/OC, rated for language.
1. The First Words out of Your Mouth

**DISCLAIMER:****I don't own Ao no Exorcist or Kingdom Hearts. Everything except my imagination belongs to the rightful owners. **  


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_The First Words out of Your Mouth_

She just wanted a normal life, which isn't easy when your appearance has been stolen and your vocal chords have been shut down due to unforeseen circumstances.

It was because of that day that she swore she would become an Exorcist.

"You're not planning on going to my True Cross Academy wearing that, are you, Miss?" the purple-haired principal asked as she sat silently in the back seat of the ridiculously pink limousine. He looked just a tad odd. That curly strand of purple hair on the top of his head, the white suit, strangely forest-green eyes. She didn't like him, but didn't hate him either since he's the one who got her to attend. Her hand curled into a loose fist on the red velvet seating.

At this she tugged her gray hood further down, shadowing as much of her face as possible. That didn't require a response, therefore she didn't answer. She liked her gray hoodie and black slacks. If they were going to force her into a teeny-tiny pink skirt she'd rather claw their eyes out. But if wearing the stupid uniform was going to get her through the school gates, she'd willingly knot the checkered tie.

Principal Mephisto simply chuckled and seemed to have read her mind. "At least wear the tie, or put the symbol on your sweater. From today you will be a student of my Academy as well, yes? I understand the state of affairs you are under."

She nodded her understanding, feeling something in the back of her brain. This was called relief.

Now, the girl had no idea why she had received a scholarship. She didn't have any intentions of coming here until she learned she could become an Exorcist. And she would do anything to be cleansed of what dirtied her soul. She would have to go to the cram school, but that didn't bother her at all. She could still become an Exorcist no matter what the chances were. The entrance exam should be worth it.

The drive was longer than she expected it to be. So she did a little sightseeing.

This city was huge, and all the buildings were clumped together in separated colours. It was obvious where the academy was; it was the tallest building in town, had a fountain and a huge clock tower. Never had she seen anything so amazing. But she could deal with it. Adjusting to the environment was another story. Avoid eye contact. Stay low. Don't say anything to anybody. Those were the standard rules she used to stay out of the way. She gripped the strap of her shoulder bag a little tighter, repeating the words in her head like a mantra as if she would forget them.

"You seem quite nervous, Miss." Mephisto remarked. "Don't worry. I shall escort you throughout the day. You still have much to learn, so please do study to your heart's content."

Though he'd taken enough time to notice, this phrase did not give her the same prick of relief it was meant to. Quickly she reached up the back of her hoodie and tugged down the chest restraint she wore. A bit of the bandaging was folded up and itchy.

The limousine came to a stop in front of the school. "Oh! Here we are!"

The first thing she noticed was how many students there were. All of them were wearing the uniform and in clusters of friends big and small. There was so much variety.

_And here I am to add to the list. _She bitterly thought. With a small, quick bow of gratitude she hastily opened the door and jammed her hands into her pockets. She was quite hungry, but she didn't trust that Mephisto guy enough to take one of the weird coloured loafs and sauce that sat in the limousine. It probably wouldn't be good to die of food poisoning on the first day of school.

Mephisto climbed out of the car after her. "Follow me, please. I'll show you to the auditorium and then your new classroom."

_Auditorium? _She mouthed, but followed the caped man anyway. She could almost feel the burning gazes of eyes on her. If they were lasers she'd be nothing but ashes at that point.

Five minutes later, she was inhaling the unbearably stuffy air in the auditorium that was stuffed from front to back. Only thanks to the violet-haired principal was she able to find a seat near the front of the huge stage.

_Is everything in this school oversized? _She asked herself.

The ceremony started. "Freshmen representative, Yukio Okumura."

"Yes!"

Everyone including the girl turned to look at who had sharply spoken. A boy about her age had stood up tall and proud. His chestnut hair was neatly cut, and his blue eyes shone in determination behind his rectangular glasses. Upon further inspection he had a few moles on his face. She heard a few girls giggling and whispering, and strained to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"The freshmen representative got the highest score on the entrance exam, right?" One girl whispered to the friend beside her.

_Anyone could do that._

"Amazing!" Another girl swooned.

_Not really._

"Yuuka, isn't he cool?" She almost squealed in her ear.

_You're both going to the same school. What's the difference?_

"Totally!" Yuuka said dreamily.

_Kill me now._

Yukio strode over to the podium and unfolded a paper that had his speech written on it. The girl somewhat admired how calm and focused he appeared despite talking in front of hundreds of people he didn't know or care about.

_Or maybe that's just because I can't. _

He cleared his throat and began. "Passing through the gates of the Academy I so admired, I feel nervous just as much as grateful." His voice rang strong and clear through the auditorium, and somehow she felt compelled to listen, which was odd.

_It's not like I can listen to my own voice. _She silently rationalized.

"All the more, I hope we will be able to further our skills through friendly competition." Yukio continued. "I am the freshmen representative, Yukio Okumura."

The applause that followed hurt her ears. The speech was good for such a short one, she admitted, but there were too many people together at once. It made her uncomfortable and twitchy and suddenly she wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Luckily after the clapping was over people stood up and started filing out of the auditorium right away. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, she quickly pushed past several girls and went outside into the schoolyard.

Then she heard a voice calling; a deep one that wasn't Mephisto's.

"Freshmen! I'll be leading you around the Academy, so please follow me."

At that point she heard more girls swooning over that Okumura guy. Why was he so popular?

"Okumura-kun, what faculty are you in?" That Yuuka girl asked. Her voice was dripping with so much artificial sugar it made the girl want to barf.

When she turned to look, Yukio's cheeks were slightly flushed from the attention he was receiving from several girls. "T-The Special Advancement faculty."

"Wow!" Another one squealed in admiration. "And you're so tall, too!"

_Is that supposed to be a compliment?_

"Thank you very much." He stiffly said. "I'm positive that all of you will do great this term as well."

She thought the girls would die from loss of oxygen. "Oh! Thank you so much, Okumura-kun!"

The girl couldn't take any more. Hurriedly she fled to the gigantic entrance hall alone. Regal-looking panes were up against the walls, and a giant red staircase was surrounded by two escalators. She tried her best not to gape and rather clench her jaw tightly. _Pull it together. This is just the entrance._

A hyper voice caught her attention from the escalator parallel to hers.

"What the heck?" The voice exclaimed, and she turned to look. A raven-haired boy wearing a long red bundle on his back sped by on the escalator, gawking at everything and turning around in several 360s. His elbows were raised high in surprise, his crystal blue eyes dilated in excitement. "Is this really a school?" His loud voice echoed in the halls and she winced at the volume. How annoying. Several girls behind him must have thought the same thing because they all huddled together and started whispering.

_It's kind of funny, _she allowed. _It's almost like he's saying everything I wish I could. A mirror to my reactions. _

At least that was what she thought until she saw the cafeteria. Golden tables all lined up front to back, golden chandeliers, paned glass windows, food ticket vending machines… It was a heaven of fancy food! The growling in her stomach didn't cease upon seeing the cakes and all kinds of Italian food. She searched her shoulder bag for her wallet when she saw the price for the cheapest dish. 1500 Yen.

She nearly barfed again.

_I think I can go without breakfast for a day._

That dark-haired guy was there again, spinning around in awed circles and staring at everything. How did he not care that everyone was looking at him? "There's even a chandelier and stuff!" He cried, waving his arms up and down. "Like in a 5-star restaurant!" The girl silently sighed. So naïve. He looked around the same age as her, but on the inside he had the maturity of a three year old.

The classrooms were oversized too. Neat desks all lined up in rows, with plenty of light coming in thanks to the paned windows on one side.

_How much did it cost to build this place? _The girl could only wonder as she took her seat near the back of the classroom by a big window. There was a nice view of the ocean from where she sat.

"Wow, it's huge!"

She winced again. Why was _he _here too? Couldn't he have gone to a different classroom or something? That wasn't conveniently the same one as hers? How could anyone think with this much noise?

"This classroom is just too big!" He gaped at the room and pulled out the chair that was two desks in front of the girl's. "This desk is even larger than the one in the monastery!" He then proceeded to smack the desk with both his hands as if to test if it would break.

_Last time I checked, you were a freak if you talked to yourself._

The group of girls from earlier seemed to pick up on her thoughts because they started whispering:

"What's wrong with that guy?"

"What's he doing here?"

He faltered in his movements. She thought he heard because he suddenly pulled himself together and resorted to coolly staring out the window, chin resting in his palm.

_Finally, some peace._

"Well, this is it for today."

_God, you must be kidding._

"Everyone please return to your rooms and be sure to attend classes starting next week. Dismissed."

All the students stood up and rushed out of the classroom, chattering away with their friends. However the girl had a bigger crisis on her hands.

_Shit. I should've taken something from Mephisto's limousine when I had the chance. _Her lips turned in an unpleasant frown. _Can I afford anything else?_

The thought of all the food she might be able to buy sent her running out of the room. Unfortunately that guy started running for the door too and they collided roughly. The girl tumbled onto the ground and painfully rubbed at her tailbone. Why were the floors so goddamn _hard_?

"Oh! M-My bad!"

She looked up to see him extending a hand to her. He wore an embarrassed smile that was slightly crooked. That was when she realized he had fang-like teeth. He really needed to get those filed or something.

"This place is packed. You shouldn't be running." He frowned.

_Hypocrite._

She shook her head to reject his help and stood up, brushing some dirt off her slacks. Quickly she fled the classroom, having had quite enough of the raven-haired boy for a day.

As she walked down the stairs, the halls were strangely empty. She thought that there would be a lot more students wandering around in an enormous school like this.

_Where should I go now? I can't afford anything in the cafeteria, so there wouldn't be any point. I don't know where the dorms are. I don't know anyone here, but I shouldn't be ditching. Either way I'm all alone. Maybe I could find a spot to play __Birth by Sleep__. I'm almost done Ventus's story. Vanitas is such a di-!_

A small whine caught her attention and she looked down. A tiny gray puppy stood at her feet wearing a giant pink polka-dotted bow tied around its neck. A little multicoloured pin was pinned onto the ribbon. Its tail wagged happily and the pin gleamed in the sunlight. Why would it have that?

_A dog? _She mouthed. _What's it doing here?_

It growled and bit at the leg of her slacks, forcing her to turn in a certain direction down the hallway. Then it scurried off, stubby legs moving much faster than she anticipated.

_Am I supposed to follow or something?_

Seeing as she had nothing else to do, she followed the fluffy dog down the hall.

She chased the little animal all the way out of the building until it led her out to the road, in which it then scrambled up the street lights and assumed a polite posture on the very top lamp. The girl looked a little closer. There wasn't any collar. Was it lost?

_Or maybe abandoned by its mother because of the giant bow and assumed it was some sort of birth mutation._

With a big puff of pink smoke and a couple multicoloured stars, Mephisto Pheles sat gracefully without slipping an inch. In surprise she took a half-step back, contemplating whether to run or to punch him. Why would he lead her all the way out here?

He seemed to have read her mind yet again. "Pardon me. But the principal can't meaninglessly wander around the campus."

She cocked her head. _Exorcists can transform?_

"I see you're quite confused. Exorcists can't take the form of anything they wish; I'm special." When the principal glanced at her with a small smile, she got ready to run until he pulled a tiny golden key from his jacket pocket and flung it like a card. Swiftly she caught it and brought it into her field of vision. _What…?_

"With this key you can conveniently go to your cram school classes through any door." Mephisto explained, and her mouth fell slightly open in surprise. _I knew this school was special, but I wasn't expecting this at all._

Elegantly he leaped off the lamp to see her eye to eye. "You already know this, but you'll be attending cram school for Exorcists. While you will be attending high school classes like everyone else, the Exorcist training will take place in the cram school. As a Page, you will study Exorcism. Though the high school classes begin next week, your cram school starts today." He started walking towards her until he was leaning down to her to make unnecessary eye contact, but she didn't dare move away. "You're prepared, aren't you?"

She nodded sharply. _Hell yes. I'm not backing out now. _

He raised a gloved finger. "Ah, but let me warn you." Mephisto lightly poked her chest, right above her heart. "It is a secret that you're not a boy. Though we can hide your chest, hair, and overall appearance, there won't be any explanation if you're caught. Please do take care of yourself."

She nodded again but a little reluctantly. _As if you need to tell me. I'll lose my only chance if anyone finds out._

"Great!" With a long swish of his arm and sending his cape flying, he hopped up onto the edge of the road and did a polite bow with a dip of his hat. "Now then, shall we get going?"

_Get going where? _She cocked her head again to communicate her confusion but rather than replying he did a little jump and fell down to the ground below. Hurriedly she scrambled over and saw him standing in front of a door on the inside of the bridge. Cleverly hidden. He looked up at her.

"Now, try opening this door with your key."

The girl gave a small nod of understanding and swung herself over the edge, landing on one knee on the cushy grass and pulled out the small golden key. It seemed to weigh less than an ounce, and yet holding it was oddly satisfying. It was almost like it fit perfectly in her hand.

Carefully she inserted the key into the miniature keyhole and turned, emitting a rewardingly loud _clunk_, full of promise that the door was indeed open. Taking a deep breath, she pushed on inside.

A silent gasp escaped her throat.

The halls went on forever. Checkered black and red tiles lay at her feet, stretching on and on into infinity. Golden, red, and green pillars stuck to the walls, and the doors were rounded with the same colours. How did this place go unnoticed? She glanced at the key closed in her palm.

_What exactly is this thing? Better question…_

She took a step inside. _Where the hell am I?_

Mephisto came in after her and shut the door. "The first-year classes are held in classroom 1106. Let's go."

She stuck close to the principal until they arrived despite how she always felt a little uncomfortable around him. Something about him just didn't seem right. Even though she was still starving, she mentally patted herself on the back for not giving into the little appetizers that sat in the limousine. At least she had some self-control.

"This way," He called, and she picked up the pace a bit. "Just for today, I'll stick around a bit too. Later I'll introduce you to where you'll be staying from here on out."

She nodded, but then he said:

"Ein, Zwei, Drei…"

With a snap of his fingers and another puff of pink smoke, he'd turned back into a fluffy gray dog, tail wagging as usual. He turned his muzzle up to the door. "Let's begin."

She recoiled a bit in shock. _What? You can still talk?_

"Why are you hesitating?" Dogphisto asked in a slightly higher, nasally voice. "Didn't you want to become an Exorcist? Isn't that the reason why you're here?"

Her jaw clenched. Of course it was. She didn't come here to screw around. If she was going to do this, she'd have to do it right but for now she had to head into the damn classroom. Exhaling a long breath, she gripped the handle and pushed the door open. _No matter what happens, I can't let what other people think get to me. Hell, this place is probably flooding with talented people. How could I ever compare to what I've seen?_

She found the exact opposite.

The first thing she noticed was that the class was very spacious and also in the same gold, red, and green colour scheme but was a lot more rural-looking and dirtier than the others she'd seen. A closet and cabinet at the back was overflowing with old papers. Then she noticed the people. Barely anyone was in there, and the creaking of the opening door seemed deafeningly loud in the utter silence. Everyone turned to look and for the first time she got a good look at the students who were in there. The students who wanted to become Exorcists.

A short blonde boy was talking silently to a pink rabbit puppet.

_Is he like me? _She couldn't help but wonder. _No, wait. If he's a ventriloquist, he just talks through that thing. He still has a voice. _She grimaced. _Lucky bastard._

Two girls sat next to each other at a table. One had short brown hair and the other had red eyes, purple hair tied back in two low pigtails, and strange eyebrows that kind of resembled guitar picks. They _had _been talking, until she'd shown up. Now they just stared. Their gazes made her flinch, so she turned her attention to the last group. A boy with pink fluffy hair stood talking to a gruff-looking teen with streaked brown and blonde hair, piercings, and some scars on his face. The table behind them was occupied by a noticeably smaller boy with glasses and a buzz cut that made him seem near bald.

But that raven-haired boy was there _again. _He sat at the back of the room in a corner table with a girl with short blonde hair and innocent green eyes. Like her, she wasn't wearing the uniform either and a blue and pink yukata was in its place. _They _wanted to be Exorcists? Well, there weren't that many people in the class. Maybe she would feel at least a little more comfortable.

_This is it? These are all the students in this _school _that want to be Exorcists?_ She thought in shock and tried not to let it show on her face. _Emotionless. Stay emotionless. That way you won't draw attention to yourself. _

They kept staring, and she felt herself break out into a cold sweat. She hated the feeling of so many eyes on her at once even if there were only a couple people.

_Oh, right. I have to introduce myself, don't I? Remember the name, remember the name. Shit. No chalk. Maybe the teacher will bring some later, but for now I'll just…_

With a tiny, quick bow, she rushed past the tables and flung herself into a chair near the back of the classroom. She swung her gaze away from the boys ogling and to her shoulder bag. The girl yanked out her sketchbook, a mechanical pencil, and flipped to the last page.

_[Who are these guys?] _

Mephisto popped up and onto her lap. Normally she would've been a little put off by a principal sitting on her lap, but strangely enough she didn't quite mind when he was in this form. He was actually quite cute.

"They are going through Exorcist training just like you," He explained, and it felt so good to have someone actually respond to what she was thinking. There was so much more she wanted to say that it felt like the words were bubbling up inside her and out of her throat, and her hand twitched, wanting to write more. She could barely hold herself together and she had to draw in a deep breath to keep from scribbling out more.

"Some of them are yet to receive a Spirit Wound, and some already have it."

_[Spirit Wound?] _

She knew she could've tilted her head in question and he would've understood but she just wanted to write her thoughts out.

"Wounds or illness inflicted by a demon. You become able to see demons when you get a Spirit Wound. It is necessary to go through it to become an Exorcist."

A piece snapped into place in her brain. _So that's why I could when…!_ Her hand shot up and two fingers grazed over the skin below her eye. _I get it now. This was it._

"Well, not that you need it, since you've already seemed to have paid the price."

Her teeth gnashed so hard together they could have snapped. At that moment the door clicked and swung open.

"Ah, your teacher has arrived."

_Does he have chalk? _Was the girl's first thought. Then her mouth fell slightly ajar.

Black leather boots clunked on the wooden floors.

A brown suitcase was set on the desk.

"Good afternoon." A very familiar voice said. "I'm your teacher, Yukio Okumura, and I'm a new teacher here. I will be teaching you Anti-Demon Pharmacology starting today." He smiled warmly. "Though I'm the same age as all of you, I've been studying Exorcism since the age of seven. I finished my studies two years ago. So please address me accordingly during class."

The purple-haired girl raised her hand. "Nice to meet you." The girl next to her lowered her head a bit more into her book with a meek, "Nice to meet you."

"Hello!" The pink-haired boy waved cheerfully.

_I had no idea. What kind of guy is he?_

The raven-haired boy's cerulean eyes widened immensely in shock and bit his lip.

"He's a genius in Anti-Demon Pharmacology, and the youngest person ever to receive the Exorcist certificate." Dogphisto said.

"Is there anyone who is still yet to receive their Spirit Wound?" He asked calmly. Several people raised their hands limply.

"Three…" He repeated. "Then let's start the first class with the ceremony of the Spirit Wound."

_[Ceremony? There can be a ceremony for Spirit Wounds?]_

"He will summon a demon and make it give a Spirit Wound to those who don't have on yet." Dogphisto nodded his fluffy head.

She slightly recoiled. _What? He can do that?_

"Actually, this classroom has been vacant for a while now, so it has become the nest of goblins." Yukio continued like all was normal.

The brunette in the classroom freaked out. "A-Are we going to be alright?"

"Don't worry," Yukio assured, and began unlocking his suitcase. "They are low class demons without any power in particular. The injuries they are able to cause are minor."

The girl rested her chin in her palm and suddenly found the wall quite interesting. How long could this day be?

_I guess I gotta put up with it till I become an Exorcist. But still… what is with that guy? Something about him just… grates. _All the noise seemed to be drowned out from her thoughts even as the dark-haired boy slammed his hands on the table and started yelling at the teacher. _He's got some nerve, screaming bloody murder at our instructor. Not that he'll last long with an attitude like that. Maybe if I wish really hard he'll get transferred out of this class. _

It didn't work.

"Oi!"

The girl looked up to see the source of her thoughts slamming his palm down on her desk, making her things rattle.

"Stop zoning out in the middle of class!" He scolded her as if he had a place to talk. "Hurry up and write your name on the board." A long piece of chalk rolled toward her hand.

She nearly toppled her chair backward from scooting it back so hard. Snatching the chalk off the desk, she marched up to the board to see several names already written. Since when were they doing introductions?

_Renzo Shima_

_Konekomaru Miwa_

_Ryuji Suguro _

_Kamiki Izumo_

_Noriko Paku_

_Moriyama Shiemi_

_Takara Nemu_

_Okumura Rin _

The chalk froze in her hand. Okumura? Since when was anybody related in this class?

Neatly she wrote down:

_Takahiro Kyohei_

For now, it'd have to do. But she at least hoped this would get it across that she was who she intended to be.

She could only wonder how long the charade would last.

When the bell rang, she felt like she'd been revived. Shoving her stuff into her bag, she pushed in her chair and made a rush for the door. Okumura-sensei had left early for a meeting and had them write some essay about different materials that could repel demons.

Unfortunately, she collided with the blonde-haired girl and fell right in front of the doorway. Why the hell was she falling so much today?

Rubbing at her already-bruised tailbone, she looked at her. She was already babbling on her knees:

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I'm so clumsy sometimes, I just don't know what to do! Oh, I'm really, really sorry!" She held out her hand. "Takahiro-kun, can you stand?"

_Of course I can. Why are you so concerned?_

The girl shook her head to reject the help again and stood up. The blonde's green eyes were glazed over with hurt of the neglect she was showing. When she turned to leave, she heard another voice:

"Oi!"

_Oh, good god. _

"The hell is your problem?" The same boy demanded. "You freaking tackle Shiemi over and you don't even apologize? Just because you think you're all top-notch doesn't give you the right to go running people over!" The rage in his eyes was clear as day.

The girl gnashed her teeth together. _It's not like I don't want to apologize, dumbass, but not that you would understand._

"With that kind of attitude, you'll never be an Exorcist." He spat angrily. "So go on, just keep living in your own world. The rest of us got lives to look forward to."

_Attitude? Don't make me laugh._

She didn't respond and kept walking when he caught her arm in a death-grip and spun her back around. "Where do you think you're going? Do you think I'm gonna let you leave without apologizing to my friend for hurting her? Huh?"

No response.

"Answer me!" He roared. In his fit of fury he grabbed at her collar roughly, yanking her forward. His teeth looked as though they belonged to that of a canine's. They were bared and ready to rip out her throat.

"You'll never be an Exorcist," He growled again. "Like hell you are. Like hell!"

Now, the girl had never thrown a punch in her life.

But she supposed there was a first time for everything.

* * *

**A/N: Alright! Here is the pilot chapter of my current obsession, Blue Exorcist. As you may've noticed by now, my OC is based off the hooded character who is later revealed to be Shura in disguise. Before I knew the true identity, I started speculating about this character and the possibilities there could be and before I knew it this happened. I don't have the entire thing planned out yet; I'm really just crashing through this, but that's fine with me. I'm definitely going to continue writing the next chapter, but until then feel free to tell me what you think and R&R! :)  
**

***When italicized text is in []s, it means that Kyohei is writing in her sketchbook to communicate.**


	2. Constant and Unpredictable Change

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ao no Exorcist. Everything except my imagination belongs to the rightful owners.  
**

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_Constant and Unpredictable Change_

She hadn't expected that he would punch back.

That would probably explain why she was on the floor in the next two seconds bleeding from her nose. And the unbearably stinging pain radiating from the center of her face.

The rest of the students were murmuring, and she looked up between her fingers to see him hunched up on his knees. His nose was bleeding too and his body was shaking, but so was hers. That Shiemi girl was at his side with a hand on his shoulder asking if he was okay, but the world was spinning and her head was jumbled with thoughts. Anything that was being said was slowed down and mutated.

"That's enough!"

She glanced up to see Yukio standing there with eyes gentle as steel. His fists were shaking and she winced, thinking he was going to punch her as well.

"I don't know what happened." He said slowly yet sharply. "But both of you are coming with me, _now. _The rest of you are dismissed." The young teacher yanked both the teenagers by the arms and the boy immediately glared daggers at her. Neither of them could properly regain their footing until a couple seconds later in which they stood in the empty hall.

Yukio crossed his arms and stared at them angrily. "I'm expecting an explanation."

_How am I supposed to tell you? Mr. Fangs here is the only one who's gonna be telling his side of the story. _She thought bitterly.

"What else was I supposed to do?" The boy protested, swiping a sleeve across his running nose. "Am I supposed to just let this guy run over my friend and not do anything about it?"

"Don't you have any self-control?" The teacher snapped, and although it was directed at both of them, the girl couldn't help but let herself think it was the latter who was most deserving of the harsh words. "The first day and two students have already injured each other! And let alone my own brother…"

_Brother… So that means this rhino is that Okumura Rin guy. How are they even related?_

"Takahiro-san." He turned to her, eyes still burning. "There are no words to describe how disappointed I am in you. You two are fellow Pages! Do you really have the time to be fighting amongst each other? It's truly a shame to even be discussing this with you. Both of you seem like kind, dedicated students. I sincerely hope that we will never have to come to grips with a situation like this again."

"Whatever," Rin muttered, looking away.

_Screw you too. I'm getting nose blood all over my favorite hoodie thanks to you._

"For the rest of the week both of you are helping me to clean the classroom after every class." He said strictly. "A matter such as this cannot go without punishment."

Unfairness punched her in the stomach. _Punishment? _She wanted to scream. _I would've apologized and none of this would have happened if I still had my voice! Rin was the one who overreacted and started screaming bloody murder! _Even in her head she sounded more immature than she intended to be.

But Rin simply frowned. "Fine."

The girl nodded even though her blood was boiling at a dangerously high level. She could hear it pounding in her ears.

"Good. You start tomorrow." Yukio picked up his suitcase. "You're dismissed."

When she started running down the halls and to the bathroom to rinse off her bleeding nose, Rin grabbed her arm, yanking her back.

"Don't you have anything to say?" He didn't sound polite but not unkind either. "Aren't you even gonna punch me again?"

She shrugged out of his grip and continued speed-walking. While she did, she pulled her sketchbook and pencil out of her bag and started writing.

"Hey!" She could hear his footsteps padding up towards her, persistent for an answer.

She turned the sketchbook around and watched as his eyes scanned over the page.

_[I'm not like this because I want to be.]_

The second she saw a glimpse of a reaction she ran off as fast as she could. So much for not talking to anybody.

But for some reason it felt like something had to be said. Just that one time.

* * *

_Yes. Yes. Combo. Get the combo finisher. Can I use any magic? Shit. No mana left. Why did I choose this keyblade? The reach isn't long enough! But then if I switched it to that one my magic would drop by two. Cure! Use Cure! Alright, I think I'm good for the next minute or two. Dammit, let me get the freaking combo finisher!_

"Hello, Miss."

The girl gasped silently and nearly dropped her PSP from the high branch of the tree she sat in that was almost off school grounds. Looking down she saw Mephisto in his dog form again. How did he find her? She realized then how embarrassing she must have looked with two tissue wads shoved up her nose. She was hoping to avoid running into anyone for the time being until the nosebleed fully stopped. That guy had punched harder than she'd anticipated.

"I apologize for having to interrupt," The tiny principal said. "But it's beginning to get dark out, yes? Come on down and I'll show you where you'll be staying from now on."

Reluctantly she turned off the game and carefully swung down the branches. _It's not like I made any progress. Freaking Vanitas screwed me over again. How humiliating._

Shoving her hands in her pockets, she followed the little dog around the campus as the sun continued to wash its orange-coloured sunset over the town. A lot less students were walking around the school yard when it was this late.

_Crap. Was I supposed to be in a dorm by now? What if they're already doing roll calls, going over dorm rules, or even better, dinner… _She resorted to biting the inside of her cheek before she bit her tongue.

So she was a bit surprised when Dogphisto introduced her to a run-down, dirty building with a sign that read "True Cross Academy Boy's Dormitory".

_Good god. Looks like an abandoned asylum and hospital slasher movie gave birth to this thing._

"Here we are!" He barked. Or yipped, his voice was pretty high-pitched as a dog. "As you already know, the female dormitories are all full, and this is the only place available for an exception such as you."

_Please. I don't have special needs. Stop treating me like some lost cat. _Her hands curled into fists.

"I understand it's not the most appealing dormitory there is, but don't worry. There are very few people living here, so please pick a room you'd like to stay in. After all, you _should _be adjusting to life as a male, so I supposed this would be a nice place to start. Do make yourself at home."

_Home? How can I ever see this place as my home? I'm so far away from my real one._

The girl nodded her understanding, gripping the strap of her shoulder bag tight. _Here goes._ Her hand reached for the handle but flinched and pulled back. _Someone's coming._

The door swung open and Yukio Okumura stepped out. Her throat went dry. _Of all people…_

His blue eyes widened a bit but he put on a polite smile. "Oh, Takahiro-san. What are you doing here so late? Have you not been directed to your dormitory yet?"

She inwardly sighed. _That's not a yes-or-no question. How do you say "The rest of the dorms are full so I'm staying in an asylum's baby so please let me make myself at home, teacher"?_

Seeing as how she didn't respond, he turned and gestured further into the dorm. "Here, why don't you come in for some tea and we'll talk?"

_That's better. _She nodded and followed him inside.

For some reason there was a faint scent of rust in the dorm and their footsteps seemed to echo a bit too loudly in the halls. The paint looked like it was going to start peeling as it was already a faint yellow from years of age. The wooden doors looked quite run-down as well. The windowsills were covered in layers of dust. Why was this place even here?

_If they could afford to have an 1800 yen price on a dish, chandeliers in the cafeteria, magic keys and spirit wound ceremonies, why didn't they just knock down this old place and build something that actually fit in here?_

"I apologize for the condition of this place," Yukio said as they walked almost as if he read her thoughts like Mephisto could. "I only moved in today, so everything is still a mess. Here, I'll get us some tea, so please have a seat." He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and hurried off into the kitchen, flicking on the lights. As he did so, the girl pulled out a chair and her sketchbook. _Well, I guess there's no getting around this. He's my teacher. He deserves some explanation, but not everything._

Five minutes later, a small cup of blueberry tea appeared on a saucer in front of her as well as her teacher. She did a bow of appreciation towards her higher-up seeing as how she couldn't communicate her gratitude.

Her instructor simply smiled back, that smile that he always wore during class. "I see your injuries still haven't completely healed."

Her hand flew to her nose in embarrassment, touching at the tissue wads that clogged up the blood. _Shit! So much for first impressions. No, scratch that. Second impressions._

"If you'd like, I can get you a cold towel. That can help to stop a nosebleed faster." Yukio suggested thoughtfully.

Quickly she shook her head, though she was still a little flustered.

"Which dormitory are you staying in? It will be curfew soon, so I can't keep you for too long."

_So why did you invite me in? Good tea though._

Pulling out a pencil, she wrote:

_[Mephisto told me I would be staying in this dorm. Are we the only ones here?]_ She scribbled the question quickly, wanting a fast reply.

The girl could've sworn she saw a flash of something cross her instructor's face, but he smoothly replied without skipping a beat. "Oh, so the other dormitories are full?"

_That's what he told me, _was what she wanted to say but she nodded instead.

"And we're not the only ones staying in this dorm, there's also-"

"Why the hell are _you _here?!"

They both spun.

"Welcome back, brother."

The girl snorted out her tissue wads.

Ten minutes and a cold towel later, the trio sat at the table with their cups of now-cold tea. Rin didn't look her in the eye and neither did she.

"You two should really learn to get along." Yukio sighed at their silence. "Brother, what took you so long to get here?"

"More importantly, how did both of you end up in the same dorm as me?" The raven-haired boy crossed his arms, glowering at his tea.

"Takahiro-san said Sir Pheles introduced him to this dorm. And I made sure that we ended up in the same dormitory since you're such a handful."

"Don't mock me, moley four-eyes." He grumbled angrily.

The girl quietly took a sip of her tea, not wanting to seem rude by completely rejecting it. Were they really related?

_[You two are twins?]_

"Not identical." Yukio said with a smile, completely ignoring Rin's previous insult. "It may not seem like it, but Rin is the older one; only by name."

She nearly spat out her tea and coughed several times.

"Knock it off," He growled. "We're nothing alike, alright?"

_Noted._

"Brother, did you get to eat today?" Yukio asked, pushing up his glasses again.

The older shook his head. "Of course not. Every damn piece of food here is overpriced!"

"This academy is for the wealthy, after all." The chestnut-haired teacher nodded. "High-class ingredients must be purchased and high-class chefs are hired just to provide meals."

_That explains the ridiculous prices. But still… _She pressed a hand to her abdomen. _I would kill for a bowl of anything right about now._

"Even though it's a student cafeteria…" Rin muttered, but his expression brightened. "But they've got everything! French, Chinese, Italian… Did you see the lobster? Imagine all the things you could do with one of those! I bet they taste great!"

_Okay. So he likes food._

Yukio smiled again. "Don't get carried away, brother. For tonight we'll have to stick with instant noodles."

Rin gaped. "You mean… like, in a cup? Add water and serve?" His eyes grew big as saucers.

"Try to bear with it just for today," He said as comfortingly as he could. "Tomorrow maybe we could do some grocery shopping. That way we can save some money. You did bring some, didn't you brother?"

She could've sworn his face was a bit paler than its usual tone. "'Course I did. I saved up _some_ cash before I left."

"Good. Then I'll be counting on you to do the grocery shopping tomorrow."

Rin flinched noticeably. "What? Oh, come on…"

"We're the only people living in this dorm. It's all of our responsibilities to pick up the slack." Yukio took a small sip of his tea and stood up. "Brother, I already have all our luggage in room 602. Takahiro-san, feel free to choose whatever room you'd like. You can look around a bit, but you won't be able to leave since it's already past curfew." She nodded.

_[Thank you.]_

"You're welcome. Oh, and you mustn't forget about your detention tomorrow. Make sure you remember. I'll start unpacking, so come join me when you're ready." Yukio smiled strangely happily at the distraught looks on their faces. Rin simply frowned and the girl curled her lips into a displeased look to the best of her ability as the young teacher left the cafeteria area.

The silence hung thick in the air. Rin threaded his hand through his dark hair and sighed, looking away.

She took a deep breath and exhaled.

_[Sorry. Didn't mean to make you bleed.] _Gently she pushed the sketchbook towards him. There was no point in trying to avoid him. They already had cram school together and were going to stay in the same dorm. Staying silent forever wouldn't help anything. She figured _maybe_ they could start over, but not get any closer than that since it would be risky.

_I know I said sorry, but I really don't regret what I did. Just keep that in mind._

"Yeah. Sorry. I can't control my temper sometimes." He said quietly, but perked up and pointed at the sketchbook. "But why do you use that to talk? What's up with your voice?"

_Well, the guy certainly is blunt enough, I'll give him that. _

_[My vocal chords don't work properly.]_

"Uh… Why's that?" His blue eyes looked dumbfounded as he blinked twice.

_[That's like asking why your ears are so weirdly shaped.] _She barely made sure that her writing was still legible because she hated the awkward silence in between question and answer.

Rin's cheeks flushed slightly as he clapped a hand over his ear. "W-Who asked you, dumbass?"

Something tugged at the corners of her lips.

_[I'm gonna take a bath or something. You should help Yukio.] _

His lips puckered outwards in denial. "That moley-four-eyes is perfectly fine unpacking by himself."

But despite the protest, the girl knew he would. Brotherly bonds- she was familiar with what they were.

A little too familiar.

_Where the hell are the bathrooms? _

The girl sighed as she jammed her hands in her pockets and wandered aimlessly around the halls. It was already dark out; probably around nine o'clock or later. She felt unexplainably tired. Her feet ached from walking and her stomach was sounding like a dying whale. A long, hot bath sounded like heaven at the moment. She'd even snagged Rin's body wash from his bag when he wasn't looking since she forgot hers at home. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it smelled average and a little bit like grass. Just in case the bathtub didn't work, she figured she could take a shower instead to compensate.

Five minutes later she arrived at two bathrooms and a spark of hope ignited into a full-on forest fire. _Oh, thank the lord! But… why is there a girl's bathroom in a boy's dorm?_

She glanced back and forth between the doors._ Barely anybody's here, so I _could _go into the girl's one. But then there won't be any explanation if I'm caught. Wait, but they wouldn't go inside the girl's bathroom. But what if they heard the water running? Not only do they think I'm a boy, they'd think I'm a pervert now too. But I've never taken a bath in a guy's bathroom…_

She took another deep breath. _How different can it be? Mephisto did say I should be adjusting to life as a guy. Baby steps, I guess. _

The bathroom didn't seem _as _run-down as the other areas of the dorm. There were a few patches of mold in the corners, but none in the important parts. The small cubbies were probably enough to hold all her clothes, but she dashed straight through the screened area by the shower and big bathtub. It smelled a bit weird, but nothing she couldn't handle.

Throwing her shoulder bag to the foot of the tub, she dug her elbows into her hoodie and began lifting the fabric off her head. The air, albeit a bit stuffy, felt wonderful against her quickly heating skin. Relief instantly flowed through her the second the bandages wrapping around her chest fell carelessly to the side along with her top. At last… A chance to be alone. Away from all those lunatics.

She momentarily stopped the unbuttoning of her slacks. Was she really calling _them _lunatics? She gritted her teeth and started the hot water, which surprisingly enough still worked.

_I'm a monster._

Steam began to fill the room as she grabbed a towel from her bag and did her hair into a quick, lazy bun. But it was all fake. It was just a wig. A plaster she liked and wanted just to conceal the sheer ugliness that lay beneath it. She may've been pretending or even lying to herself, but she still had a girl's sense of style. Pushing her brown bangs back under the towel, she slowly lowered herself into the hot tub.

For the first time that day, her lips curled up into a satisfied grin as she sighed again in relaxation. The hot water did wonders for her body and already she felt her muscles begin to loosen and unwind. She slid a bit deeper into the water until her chin and mouth were submerged in the water. _Finally, finally, finally. Some peace and quiet. _

At long last she had some time to think about what exactly had happened that day. She'd arrived at True Cross Academy to learn to become an Exorcist. A principal turned into a dog. She now had a magic key to help her get to her cram school classes from any door at all. She'd punched a guy in the nose and was now staying in a boy's dorm. The thought of everything made her head spin and for a second she thought she would pass out. When she turned her head, her bangs slid out from under the towel but she didn't bother fixing it, laziness getting the best of her.

_What's going to happen now? _She frowned. _I'll continue the cram school classes and then what? Damn, I really didn't think this through. But I guess it's too late to change anything. This is gonna be my life from here on out. Might as well get used to the way things are gonna be and just go with it. But for now…_ Another soundless sigh escaped her as she rubbed her upper arms and shoulders, feeling the heat start to revive her tired muscles back into circulation. It felt wonderful.

"Where the hell is it?!"

Her body jerked awake and out of her daze, her head snapping to the door. What? Why was Rin yelling again? His voice seemed far away but was quickly getting louder almost as if he were approaching the bathroom.

"_Yukio! _Did you take my body wash? Give it back already!"

_Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit!_ Immediately her arm reached for the bottle, head spinning, but was met only with air that seemed freezing compared to the warm haven of the tub. _Why did I not put that thing on the edge of the tub? It's still in the pile of clothes I dumped down on the ground! But if I get out, he'll… he'll… _Her mind refused to think that far ahead. She felt herself start to grow dizzy from the swirl of panic, vertigo, and confusion mixed along with the heat of the bath. Goosebumps broke out on her arm and she plunged it back into the water, feeling relief take over and yet being replaced with a sense of terror.

And she didn't have a towel to cover herself.

"KYOHEI!"

The second she heard the door being kicked open, she decided to test how long she could hold her breath for.

As her head pierced the surface of the water she heard a scream that certainly wasn't hers.

Although if she'd still been able to her shriek would've shattered the windows.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, finally done with the long-awaited second chapter. I know nothing very exciting happened this time around but I've got most of the kinks worked out of the main plot, so hopefully I can finish this and get another chapter up soon. Thank you so much to my reviewers and followers so far! I love hearing what other people think of my writing. :)  
**

***Takahiro Kyohei is only a pen name for now. The girl's real name will be revealed eventually.***

**Feel free to tell me what you think and R&R! 3**


	3. Absolutely Normal Chaos

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Blue Exorcist. Everything except my imagination belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.  
**

* * *

_Absolutely Normal Chaos_

"_Gaaahhhh! _What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?"

_Good question. At least your lungs aren't threatening to implode. _

Though she mentally stated the sarcastic remark, her brain was swirling with thoughts. Could it be that she'd already gotten caught on the first day? Her body temperature rose in embarrassment and shame. How could she give up now? Where would she go? What would she do?

"O-Oi!"

A stream of bubbles escaped from her mouth and she clamped two hands over it, feeling her blood pounding in her ears as the pressure began to crush down on her lungs. No. No! It couldn't just end like this. What about everything she had promised herself? Everything she had to lose?

_Wait._

A vague memory resurfaced. Her dad in their backyard, teaching her how to defend herself. At the time he'd said he was doing it so she could protect herself from 'bad guys' which she later discovered translated into 'rapists'. But nonetheless she'd given it her all though she didn't have much in the way of stamina. There was this one move, what was it again? It was enough to knock somebody out for a few moments but she never had a target to try it on. She glanced up from the water, lungs throbbing uncontrollably, to see a half-open window in a row along the wall above the bathtub in the corner. It was a small, rectangular space but she would break it open if she had to.

_Do I still remember how to do it? _She asked herself in her daze, but her vision was starting to blur. She would drown to death if she didn't hurry. _And in a freaking bathtub. That's just unfortunate._

"A-a-are you okay?" His voice was muffled and distorted. "H-Hey!"

_You idiot. Why didn't you run away? Why didn't you get Yukio? But this is my only chance. Oh good god. I'll have to get out… but if I knock him out, he won't remember, right…? Right. Shit. Shit. Shit! _

Her head resurfaced from the water, and everything was a blur.

She remembered seeing a trace of a nosebleed on his lips, and his blue eyes widening, threatening to release a scream. She barely even bothered to cover herself as she slapped her hands onto the wet tile at his feet and the world spun upside down. Latching her ankles around either side of his neck at the speed of light, a yell escaped him as he crashed his head to the ground on his side, too shocked to even fight back. Quickly she turned, his head turning with her, and dug her bare elbow into the tiles. With as sharp a jerk of her hips as she could muster, a loud _crack _echoed in the room, and with a pained gurgle, he fell silent.

Sweet, precious oxygen rushed into her throat as she leaped off the boy and stumbled back against the still-full but overflowing bathtub. _It worked. I did it. I did it right. But now I… _She gulped down a few more breaths before scooping her clothes and bag off the floor, dampening them in the process from her body. _Who knows when he'll wake up? Yukio might be on his way too. I can't risk getting seen again or everything's over for sure. I don't have time to change, least of all in front of him. _As the slapping of her bare feet was the only sound in the room, she hugged her clothes to herself and slung her bag over one arm. The harsh Velcro-like fabric scraped roughly against her skin and she gritted her teeth as a red welt rapidly formed. She ignored it after rubbing a hand against it, feeling the goosebumps already start to form. She felt her body heat up in humiliation. _Plus a guy just saw me naked for about five seconds tops. Please don't remember anything. Please._

Scaling the wall proved quite difficult when her feet were so slippery and wet. She ripped the towel from her dripping hair and sloppily tied it around her right foot, though it didn't do much in terms of resistance since it was sopping wet too. After wringing it out as best she could, she had somewhat of a foothold.

A weary groan came from beneath her and she nearly jumped three feet into the air. _Shit, I gotta hurry._

But she snuck a glance at the dark-haired teen that was lying unconsciously on the floor and felt a twinge of what may have been guilt.

_Sorry._

She launched herself up into the air, heart pounding erratically, and gripped the ledge of the window so hard her knuckles started screaming. Her left foot slipped on the tiles but she used her opposite to push herself out the mostly-open window and soon the cold night air sank its icy fingernails into her skin and made her teeth chatter wildly until her jaw began to ache. The girl shoved her elbows against the wall outside and hesitated for a moment. There was no way she could get out without doing a backflip onto the ground below. Her legs dangled slightly, not yet outside but wavering in the room that began to feel more humid and stickier by the minute. Even though the chilly evening air was flowing through her nose, she felt the lower half of her body break out into a cold sweat.

Taking in a shuddery breath, she pushed herself out all the way.

It was one of those rare moments when the girl was glad she couldn't speak because she was positive she would've screamed or at least made some sound she was sure she would regret making. As she tumbled out of the window, she vaguely remembered asking herself:

_What am I doing?_

Then she hit the ground and she snapped out of her trance.

The grass tickled and she sneezed from the severe temperature change. Her body rattled furiously as she curled up her legs underneath her and rubbed at her arms in a failed attempt to make some friction. Quivering, she hastily patted herself dry with the small towel around her foot and pulled on her hoodie and slacks, grimacing at how sticky she still felt from the residue of the moisture. _Guess I'll have to find a room to hide out in for the night. It'll be easy to find one far away from theirs in this asylum baby or whatever the hell it is. Theirs is room… 602. Right. _She pressed a hand over her chest to feel her heart jackhammering all over her rib cage. _What about Rin? He might remember and it'll all be over. My chance will be gone. _Her chest constricted. _If anything happens, I'd best be prepared for what's to come. _Carelessly jamming everything into her bag, she retreated back around the dorm and to the entrance once again, hugging her chest as if someone could see through the thick hood, which technically had already happened. Trying not to think of it too much, she pushed open the doors and searched for a vacant room, head spinning.

* * *

Though many boxes were in room 208, she only had the effort to unpack one of them which contained her blanket, pillow, alarm clock, and a few school supplies. The rest of them were in another package.

When she arrived, she was a little surprised. The rooms were in better condition than she thought they would be. There were two beds on either side, and a large desk in front of two paned windows that gave a nice view of the city outside that was sparkling with amber lights from the distance. A compact closet was on the wall beside the bed on the left.

After locking the door and shoving three boxes in front of it, she peeled off her hoodie and sighed. _Great. This'll take forever to dry. _Cautiously removing the dripping wig, she sighed again. _I should've taken this thing off when I was in the bath. But wouldn't that have been even worse? He would've seen…_ A doubtful hand brushed the spot under her eye again and flinched as she quickly hung up the wig on the bed post. _Towel. I need a towel, but which box was that in? Why didn't Auntie label these things? A big box with the name 'toiletries' on it would be splendid at the moment, thank you very much._

Searching through several boxes, she rustled through clothes and books until her hand closed around something small and cold. Bringing into her line of vision, she realized what it was.

The first item to ever be set on the desk was a three-leaf clover in a bottle.

Ten minutes later, she sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her face dry with a fluffy white towel she was so glad she'd remembered to pack. Too much. Too much had happened in one day.

The girl felt like ripping her skin off when there was a knock on the door. "Takahiro-san? May I come in?" On impulse she shoved away the towel under the bed.

_Stupid Yukio! I can't answer that behind a door! _Slipping into her hoodie and slacks, she pushed the security boxes out of the way and opened the door.

"I apologize for intruding so late into the evening. I understand if you'd like some time to settle in a while longer, but it seems we had an attacker a few minutes ago." Yukio frowned. "Be vigilant."

She gulped and cocked her head, feigning ignorance.

He caught the drift of the gesture. "Rin was searching for his body wash when he was attacked by someone in the boy's bathroom."

She held up a hand to signal patience, which he understood. Searching in her dropped shoulder bag, she pulled out her sketchbook and pencil, writing quickly.

_[Did he see who it was?]_

The young teacher shook his head. "He doesn't remember exactly, but he says it seemed like a female."

Every nerve in her body sparked in alarm but she forced herself to stay calm. It wasn't like he could see her reactions.

"But I can't fathom why a female would break into a dormitory to use the bathrooms. Every dorm has one." Yukio held his chin in thought. "So I came here wondering if you had any information. Were you targeted as well?"

She shook her head and began writing again.

_[I was unpacking the whole day. I didn't leave my room or hear anyone.]_ The girl hoped her hand hadn't faltered while she was writing the message.

His brow furrowed. "I see. It's a relief you weren't hurt. Thank you for the information, Takahiro-san."

She gulped again.

_[Was Rin injured?]_

"It seems he has some damage to his neck, but he's up and moving again." He smiled. "There was a chance he may have dislocated it, but thankfully no major damage was done."

She nearly keeled over in disbelief. _What? A dislocated neck can't just __heal__ in ten minutes! _Her teeth gnashed together. _Who the hell is he?_

"I've set up barriers around most of the entrances so nothing suspicious will be able to enter, but you should be careful as well." Yukio nodded. "I wasn't expecting an intruder on the first day. How reckless." He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "I will investigate this situation further. You'll have to excuse me."

The girl nodded as he made his way to leave. An invisible weight lifted off her chest. At least she wasn't a suspect, or at least not yet. One of the pros of not being able to speak was that it was easier to lie, but that wasn't enough. She couldn't live with that. He disappeared down the hallway.

_Goodnight, sensei. _

* * *

2:33.

2:34.

2:35.

The ticking of her clock rang in her ears as she flipped and tossed and turned, hugging an extra pillow to herself in her blue t-shirt and long checkered pajama pants as she inwardly groaned, tousling the sheets she'd thrown off in frustration.

_Why did I not bring my digital clock? I can't sleep with the constant ticking, but there are usually cars or whatever outside to drown it out. It's so quiet here it's almost eerie. Well… I am sleeping in an asylum's baby. Can't really expect much else. But…_

A loud growl erupted from her stomach in the silence and she hugged the pillow harder in a miserably failed effort to smother it.

_I am so damn hungry… _

She let out an exasperated breath. _I can't sleep like this, and I sure as hell can't last till breakfast. _The girl sat up and grabbed her still-drying wig off the bedpost. _Maybe I could find something, anything really. And is Rin okay? I did kind of dislocate his neck, but… _She frowned at the thought of what Yukio had said again. _Well, whatever. If it's true, he'll be fine by tomorrow. _

Putting on her fluffy slippers she'd brought from home, she opened the door and padded down the hallways.

A shiver ran down her spine and she immediately regretted not bringing a flashlight. There was no light at all so she had to place a trembling hand against the wall, worried that a demon would jump out of nowhere even though her eyes had already adjusted to the darkness.

She sucked in a breath. _God, get a hold of yourself. Yukio already said he set up barriers. Nothing's gonna get in. Just find the kitchen, steal some food, and get back to sleep for another day tomorrow. _

It sounded so simple.

A faint light seemed to glow from around the corner and every muscle in her body tensed. She realized her legs were quaking as she struggled to move forward before she lost it.

_What is that? _Her blood pounded in her ears. _A demon? But how?_ The curiosity she felt course within her spurred her on to walk a bit faster, turning around the corner. Her footsteps echoed in the halls, and she willed herself not to melt or go running back to her room in fright.

Forcing herself to breathe, she finally saw what it was.

A tiny blue butterfly, fluttering down the hallway while emitting a pale indigo shine that illuminated the ghostly halls.

Her heart plummeted into her stomach, the hunger suddenly completely crushed under the weight of it and replaced with revolt and terror. _How? How did that _thing _get in here? But it… _

She didn't hesitate. She pushed up her right sleeve and began mouthing the words, all while carefully stalking it, never letting it out of her vision.

_O Spirits of Wolfsbane_

_I humbly call upon thee_

_To beckon you by my side at once_

_Give me your beauty_

_Give me your wisdom_

_Give me your courage_

_Grant me the strength to overcome the trials ahead_

_So that this world may become paradise._

The girl flipped over her wrist as the blue sealing tattoo began to shine a white light. She covered it with her palm to suppress it as much as she could as the blade began to rise from the center of it. She gripped the grip of the sword so tightly her knuckles turned white. _Hello there. You're going to give it back now. And I'll take it by force if I have to. So sorry, but you'll have to disappear. _Snapping it in half, the two daggers with the wolf stone pommels rested forcefully clenched in her hands, occasionally twirling it to make sure she hadn't dropped them.

The butterfly slipped underneath a door and she faltered, coming back to reality.

Room 602.

What? Since when had she followed the thing all the way to the other side of the dorm? She stared at the sign for a while. Sure, she knew how to pick a lock, but would she really do it?

Quickly she brushed it aside, cursing herself for even asking. Of course she would do it! And she would do it because it's what she came here for.

_Alright. Time to do this. _

But the door was already unlocked.

She nearly laughed at how paranoid she was and slowly entered.

The gentle sound of breathing was the only sound in the room. Well, that was only Yukio, who was on the right side of the room. Rin was snoring loudly, sheets tangled randomly all over his body and bed.

The butterfly was easy to spot in the darkness, but neither of the boys woke up. Suddenly a wave of embarrassing realization washed over her. She'd just snuck into a room, at night, all alone, with two guys who were sleeping and completely unaware of her presence. But what she wanted was so close, and she felt the inevitable prick in the back of her mind that it would slip out of her fingers again if she didn't act now. Her heart thudded so hard she thought it would pop out of her chest.

_It's right there. _She tried to convince herself. _Everything I ever wanted more than anything in the world is right there.  
_

The beautiful insect fluttered down and rested right on the edge of Rin's bed, only a few inches away from his face. He didn't even stir and continued his… peaceful sleep. The younger brother didn't notice a thing either.

With a quiet 'click' the two halves of her dagger combined into one long, curved sword, fuller and edge slightly spiked.

Its wings slowly flapped, but didn't seem to want to fly away.

_Now, _her mind shouted. _Now!_

She lifted her sword high up over her head, her only target right before her eyes.

Without thinking there was a slice, a rip, and a startled yell.

Shuffles. _"Brother!"_

_Shit._

There was a click and she knew that Yukio had a gun pointed at the back of her head. Rin hadn't even moved a muscle and rolled over, still snoring. But she'd speared the butterfly right through the middle, leaving a searing gap in the side of the mattress. Removing the sword from the lifeless corpse, she lowered her arm to her side.

"Who are you?" Yukio demanded. "Turn around and raise your arms over your head." His voice had a venomous tone the girl hadn't known he could muster. "Do it or I'll shoot!"

But the words were empty, flowed through one ear and came right out the other. Questions, anger, frustration, everything was swirling in her mind. A gush of bitter blood ran down her tongue and she realized that she'd bitten it when she'd killed the bug.

Why? Why didn't she have it back yet?

Before he could pull the trigger, she turned and swept a leg into his ankles, and he stumbled and fell. Sliding on the hardwood floors, she bounced behind him and smacked the wolf-shaped pommel into the side of his neck. The young teacher slumped forward onto the floor, losing consciousness.

The girl released the breath she'd been holding and gently propped him up against the bed, the guilt getting the best of her. She had already hurt enough people for a day. Her head turned to the bedside table.

He hadn't put on his glasses. That's why he couldn't tell who she was.

_They're going to suspect me, _she thought, gnashing her teeth. _They're never going to trust me again. I have to be more careful. How could I be so stupid?_

Returning the sword back into the seal, she took a few deep, steady breaths before leaving, the frustration and rage not leaving her mind for a single minute.

* * *

The kitchen was located right in the middle of the dorm- a nice, convenient area for it to be. Hurriedly she rushed over towards the back where the meals should be prepared when she spotted an object on the table where they'd had their tea earlier.

Two large rice balls sat in the middle of a plate with plastic wrap over it. A little scrap of paper lay next to it and she picked it up.

_If you get hungry, eat these._

She sighed and sat down, ripping off the wrap.

_You're such an idiot._

* * *

**A/N: Tada! Finally done the next chapter. I was totally putting this off because I wasn't sure what would happen, but I think I did alright for this one. I've already got so many ideas for what could happen I can't wait for them to appear on my screen :) Another thank you to all my new reviewers, favorites, and followers! It inspires me to keep going when I get such nice feedback. But I'd also love to hear from you too! If you have anything to offer or things you'd want to see happen, let me know in a review down below!**

**Thank you! 3**


	4. Storm

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except my imagination belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.**

* * *

_Storm_

Sleep did not come easily to her that night.

Though her stomach was satisfied with the better-than-expected _onigiri _and the adrenaline rush dying down, something else twisted in her gut that didn't feel right.

Why? She'd killed the butterfly. So why didn't she have it back yet?

_It's mine, _she thought furiously over and over again. _I have a right to have it back! _Her pillow was horribly misshapen due to the number of times she had punched it straight in the middle. The demented cushion no longer supported her neck and she began to feel it start to grow sore. With a soundless groan of frustration she flipped over on her side, feeling her squished shoulder already start to throb but she ignored it.

The girl forced herself to keep taking deep breaths. _Square breathing my ass. That's just some phony trick the counselors use to calm the mentally insane. _

The pajamas that she'd worn just earlier were now shoved far into the back of the closet, not quite sure what else to do with them except hide them. If she ever wore them again, she was wary that Yukio would start suspecting her even more, even if his glasses hadn't been on at the time. Now she was reduced to a pair of white shorts that were supposed to be for summer and a grey tank top that was also out of season but she was honestly past the point of caring. Her mind was too busy with trying to process everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. She felt ready to faint and at the same time ready to break out of the damned school and search for it herself. If the answers weren't here, she'd be more than willing to get them somewhere else.

_Just go to sleep, _She tried to chide herself. _When you're asleep, you forget about everything for a little while._

_But…_ The girl noticed something else. _I'm only dodging reality for a couple hours. When I wake up… all of it will just come crashing down again. If I ever go to sleep, I don't want to wake up. Just let me stay in my own world…_

She snuck a glance at her alarm clock and immediately wished she hadn't. 3:24. Now she was even more frantic to fall asleep but couldn't so she yelled harder at herself in her head to fall asleep which didn't work but now the time was freaking her out because of how late it was and how tired she was going to be the next morning and _god dammit._

When sleep finally found her, her heart was still heavy with guilt and confusion, gradually sinking down into the pit of her stomach. Her slumber was dull and void, simply empty.

_Just like me._

* * *

Murakami Chiho is dying.

Slowly, in the worst way possible.

Ashes in her hair, blood on her clothes, smoke in her lungs. Grit in her eyes, scrapes on her arms, ears clogged. Her beautiful house burning to nothingness before her in the grass.

She doesn't have much longer.

She can't cry, can't call, can't scream, can't move. Her leg is burned and her clothing is severely singed. Everything hurts and her head pounds with every shaking breath. Even breathing is like swallowing a mouthful of sandpaper. For the first time in her life her tongue isn't moist.

Her body convulses and jerks as her stomach churns up whatever food or water is left in her stomach. The world spins wrathfully as she empties herself of everything. But there's no taking back what she's seen.

It's all too late.

A faint sparkle catches her eye. But it's not like the terrifyingly scarlet flames that had consumed everything she'd ever known. It's a light glow, a pale blue radiance that seemed to shine almost blindingly in contrast to the angry embers.

Even though moving sends an electrical shock of pain through her sore, failing body, she grinds her scraped fingertips into the dirt and pulls herself towards it. Why, she doesn't know. But she feels like it can put her out of her misery. It's an inevitable, unexplainable calling striking her straight to the core.

Her dry tongue hangs limply in her mouth, desperate for something, _anything._ Weary eyes weakly blink away the ashes that sting to have them there. Wisps of pale hair fall in her face but her arms will break off if she lifts them any higher than she is now. That's clearly out of her physical capacity. A stream of blood trickles out of her lips and drips onto her hand but that doesn't unnerve her. All she wants is to get to that glow, that glimmer of hope that can stop her suffering…

It's getting closer now. The smoke burns her throat but she can't stop. The broken ribs pound numbly and it hurts to take a breath, but it's there. It's not leaving.

It doesn't occur to her that it might just be a flashlight, a firefly, maybe even a hallucination. Some useless mirage that will fade if she puts her hand through it. But it doesn't leave.

Finally it's there. It's right in front of her.

That teal blue butterfly outlined in black, slowly flapping its wings.

_I'll help you._

_Give me your strength._

_I'll return everything._

_I promise._

* * *

_**EVERYBODY SCREAMING!**_

_**EVERYBODY MOVING!**_

_**LET'S GET IT STARTED!**_

_**GOTTA MAKE A RIOT NOW!**_

_Jesus fucking Christ-!_

She slammed her fist onto the large button of her alarm clock, silencing the heart attack. Since when had she turned the volume of her alarm up so high? She never liked that song on the radio anyway.

Panting heavily, she sank back down into her pillow again, slapping a wrist to her forehead. That dream? Again? That had been the third time in a month. The girl placed a hand over her chest with a breathless sigh. _Get a hold of yourself. That's all over now and that was years ago. _

She laid there for a while, getting her breath back spread out like a starfish in the tousled sheets. The morning sunlight shone through the window; she'd forgotten to close the blinds, but that didn't bother her. It helped her wake up, though she wasn't particularly in the mood to.

Her heartbeat slowed as reality started to come back into focus. Even though she still didn't feel right to be here, something about the atmosphere was calming. For a moment she allowed herself to relax, taking in the sight. After all that she'd gone through, she deserved a little down time while she was still awake. The bath didn't exactly count and neither did her troubled sleep. Just some time away from all the commotion to think. To let everything just… sink in.

_Maybe things are better this way. By myself. _She wondered. _I'll find it myself. I only got into this school to become an Exorcist for that. _

The word 'school' nearly made her bang her head against the bunk bed.

Barely bothering to adjust her wig properly, she ripped off her pajamas and threw them onto the floor, lazily convincing herself that she'd clean up everything later.

While she was pulling on her hoodie, she heard something loudly trampling down the halls. Later, a voice.

"Damn, I overslept!"

For a minute she felt disgusted with herself for falling behind Rin. That voice motivated her to finish dressing faster and slung on her bag. Sprinting down the hallways, she turned to the cafeteria area where there was a tray of food already waiting.

Yukio had just finished and she gulped, feeling her stomach start to twist with the memories and guilt of the previous night.

But he just put his hands together and said, "Thanks for the meal." Then when he caught sight of her, he smiled. "Good morning, Takahiro-kun. Did you sleep well?"

She barely heard the question as she spotted a dark bruise on the side of his neck, exactly where she'd hit him with her sword to knock him out.

"Takahiro-kun?"

The world came back into focus and she nodded even though she had no idea what he had just said. That tended to work often.

"It's good to see that you're well." The young teacher picked up his tray and set it on the counter. "We had another attack last night. I'm beginning to believe Rin is specifically being targeted, and I failed to determine who it was. But…" His brow furrowed. "It didn't seem to be a demon, but no student should be out of their dorm after lights-out."

_I'm screwed, _she thought, stiffly shuffling over to her seat and sitting down. _I am so screwed. It won't be long before he starts suspecting _me.

She began to pick up her chopsticks when Rin stumbled into the kitchen with his jacket only on one arm and half his shirt buttons undone. A hurricane seemed to have spun through his hair, the untidy locks messier than usual.

"Yukio! Why didn't you wake me up?" He raged, throwing himself into the seat next to her.

"I tried three times, but you wouldn't wake up." Yukio put on that nice smile and the girl wondered if he used it often to get what he wanted. "I figured you must've been tired, so I just let you sleep."

"Well, you could've tried four times! Thanks for the meal!" Slapping his hands together, he picked up the chopsticks and then proceeded to shove every bit of rice into his mouth. The girl ogled for a moment at the ravenous boy. _Since when was he some kind of hippo-human hybrid? His metabolism better be high or he's not moving again. _Attempting to eat as much as she could, she snuck another glance at him. By now his bowl was half-depleted. _Or maybe that'd be a good thing._

"You're going to choke," Yukio reminded him.

"I've got a marathon to run today! I gotta eat or I'll die!" He replied in between gulps.

The girl flicked a stray grain of rice off her sleeve with some distaste. _I'm not invisible, so please stop getting your food all over me. But actually… _Once again the world around her was filtered out by her thoughts. The movement of her chopsticks noticeably slowed. _Maybe I am. With no facial reactions and no voice, nobody would even tell that I'm here. _Her fingers tightened and her chest constricted. _I really am invisible._

_And I hate it._

* * *

"Magic is usually performed by contracting demons. The Grimoire is the collection of knowledge on the methods and laws governing those contracts. It has an ancient history. In the thirteenth century, Reverend William of Auvergne studied demons…"

The girl massaged her cheek with one hand, using the other to absently twirl her pencil around two fingers and finally letting it clack quietly onto the notebook. It was completely blank, rid of any facts or information as if they were an omen. The discarded textbook lay ignored on the corner of the neglected desk at the back of the room where she sat.

_It's just Grimoire Studies, _she rationalized, completely filtering out the teacher's voice. _If there's ever a test I'll know the answer when I see it. _A thought struck her then. _Crap. What if it's not multiple choice? That's the only kind of test I give __some__ half-ass effort into. _

The fact that she couldn't groan in frustration made a hot pit of fire begin to boil in her stomach and she fought down the urge to break something or throw another tantrum. _Jesus. Calm yourself. All this is gonna be bad for your complexion. _

_What complexion? _The empty page laughed at her.

She immediately regretted not bringing another pack of 0.5 lead because the one currently in her pencil snapped seven times drawing angry black swirls all over the paper.

_This is not working. _She told herself over and over, feeling her insecurities of the past day start to pile up and take their toll. _I can't be an Exorcist. I can't. I just want to go home. _The shreds of lead began to smudge over the pure white and the side of her hand, but it's not like she had anybody to impress.

_What home? _The empty page laughed at her.

It took all her self-control to not spear the damned book right through the middle with her fist.

"_Okumura_!"

Her head snapped up despite the name not belonging to her. Torikura-sensei's voice had risen so sharply that even she had been pulled out of her trance.

Obviously Rin's body shot up and his textbook fell out of his hands. "S-Sukiyaki!"

The girl rubbed her temples with a breathless sigh. What? What was up with this guy? Falling asleep in class and then yelling out the name of some hotpot dish. _And he said __I'd __never be an Exorcist._

"You can just leave if you're not going to listen." Torikura-sensei narrowed his eyes at him.

"I-I'm sorry." He apologized and picked up the book again, although something about the tone made it sound like he wasn't in the slightest.

_Guess he's no better than me, _She thought, picking up her pencil again to spin around her fingertips. Dad used to do this all the time as he read. She'd inherited his twitchy hands and habit of not keeping still. As Torikura-sensei continued to read from the textbook while walking aimlessly around the classroom, she took her own and put it down over the scribbles she'd drawn, feigning actual interest. _That's right. He won't be able to tell if I'm reading or not. He can't see my eyes scanning the page. But maybe it's better like that. Nobody would want to see this anyway._

"What the hell is that guy doing?"

A different guy caught her attention and she angled her head to him. It was the punk-looking guy with the streaked hair and piercings. _Should you really be saying that when you look like you were dropped on your head the day you were born?_

Rin noticed him talking because he turned his head too, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Get lost!" The brunette spat angrily.

After turning back around, he started giggling and murmuring things to himself again. _What the…?_

"_Okumura!"_

"Tch."

Just this once, she allowed the smallest of smiles.

_My thoughts exactly. _

* * *

It was actually pretty amusing to see that rebel guy get so riled up every time Rin spaced out during class. Something was so funny about seeing him squirm whenever the teachers called his name.

The back-and-forth reactions soon grew old though, and she then resorted to drawing stick men armies in the margins of her notebook. Not even one page in and the first paper in it was smudged and covered in stick men. Talk about devotion.

Time crawled on until Demon Pharmacology class finally arrived. This time she actually bothered listening. Things were always more lively when the young teacher was in the room and she found him quite fascinating to listen to at times, but unfortunately the raven-haired boy seemed not to agree.

She cradled her chin in her hand as he began the class. _You'd think you'd actually be at least a little more interested to listen to your own brother teach a class. What else could I expect from this guy? Is he serious?_

Yukio smiled again, holding a stack of papers in his hand that did not look very inviting. "I will now give you the results of the test earlier."

An invisible fist punched her in the stomach. _Crap! That test we got first day! I don't know any of my pharmaceutical herbs! Oh, Good God, I failed that thing. _

"Shima-kun!"

"Yes!"

The strawberry-headed boy walked up to the desk, where Yukio handed him the test. "Review the parts you made mistakes at, please."

_There's no way his hair is natural… Or is it? I mean, some people can be born with one eye different from the other, so it could be possible. But… Did his parents give him pink hair? That would be so cool if mine did… Whoa, do they really sell hair dye in that colour? I've never seen that shade anywhere…_

Lost in her hair fantasies, she didn't return to humanity until her name was called. "Takahiro-kun!"

She mentally slapped herself as she stood up. _I've gotta stop doing that. Pay attention, Kyohei, pay attention!_

Her heart thudded as Yukio gave her the test. "You got quite a few wrong, but mostly because you switched around most of the names. Please do be more careful next time and take your time."

The big red 73 in the corner of the paper cackled at her and she wondered why inanimate objects seemed to hate her. But still, for a written test, this was one of her better attempts.

The girl resisted the urge to soundlessly laugh when Rin only ended up with two points.

"This was gut-wrenching." Yukio's brow twitched in aggravation.

"I'm sorry." Rin muttered, and executed the walk of shame back to his seat while staring at the test.

"Suguro-kun!"

The streaked kid stood up. "Yes." _Oh, so that's his name._

As he walked past Rin, he spat under his breath: "Two points? I couldn't do that bad even if I wanted to. It's 'cause you're always showing off to that chick. Makes me sick." Rin stopped and started trembling in anger, and she was surprised that he could actually hold his tongue.

"You did well, Suguro-kun." Yukio smiled as he smirked and flaunted the paper to Rin.

Her jaw nearly fell open. 98 points?

"What?!" Rin nearly screamed, crushing his own test in his hand. "That's impossible! How could a punk like you get 98 points?" _Stop reading my mind._

"What?" Suguro yelled back, and she noticed then that he and Shima shared the same Kansai accent. "I go to school to do my best and so I can take the Exorcist exam!" Yukio nodded approvingly while Rin flinched.

"Everyone here is serious about becoming an Exorcist!"

It occurred to her then that she didn't know the reasons why everyone wanted to be one. But she did know that she would never tell anyone hers.

"An eyesore that only comes here to slack off should just get lost already!" He went on, voice laced with every bit of hate in his body. She didn't know he would get so agitated just because one guy wasn't as dedicated to his studies as he was. Although it was quite satisfying for him to finally say what was so evident in his face for the past two hours. All she had to do was just sit back and enjoy the show.

Rin only faltered for a moment before arguing, "Who the hell put you so high up on the horse so you could tell me off like that, you punk? Believe it or not, I want to be an Exorcist too!"

_Why?_

"What?!" Suguro exclaimed in disbelief. "Then why don't you try listening in between your naps, yeah?"

Konekomaru was at his side almost right away. "Bon, calm down!"

Strawberry-head came up from behind him and pulled him back, looping his arms around his chest. "Bon, we're in class!" Yukio did the same to Rin.

_Who cares? _She suppressed a smirk as she leaned her chin further into her hand. _This is so entertaining. Take your time!_

Suguro- no, she was going to inwardly call him Bon now- pointed a twitching finger at the boy. "I haven't seen you pay attention even once!" Shima and Konekomaru looked noticeably intimidated, making her want to smile again.

_You should see my notebook._

"I'm the more practical type!" Rin insisted, struggling in his brother's grip. "I'm not good at sitting at a desk and cramming!"

"It's just as Suguro-kun says. You should listen." Yukio encouraged. His glasses had shined over, making it impossible to see his expression.

_What if I just wore glasses?_

Rin whacked him off. "Yukio! Just whose side are you on?"

"Which side, I wonder."

When the bell rang at that miraculous moment she nearly banged her legs on the desk.

"Ah, class is over." Yukio looked up. "This is it for today."

The girl scooped up her things and bolted out of the classroom.

* * *

After another hour of shotlocks and Vanitas defeats, she arrived to the gym changed in the dark purple gym trousers. She was late, but no one really noticed. After all, she was invisible, and Tsubaki-sensei was busy working the chains in the middle of the ring.

"_Graaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"_

"_Hyuahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"_

_Crap, did I miss another catfight? _She picked up the pace to see everyone gathered around. A giant frog-like demon leaped around the stadium, chasing after Rin and Bon. _Wow. Did their rivalry grow even stronger over lunch? _Keeping her casual composure, she leaned back against the wall to look as boyish as she could. If there was something she was sure she wasn't being suspected of, it was that she was a girl. _They're pretty fast. Nearly neck-and-neck. _

"This isn't just a foot race!" Tsubaki-sensei called, having to shout over the sound of the rattling chains. "The point is to adjust your body to the movements of the demon! Watch the movements of the Leaper!" _Yeah, and they're doing great at that._

"Bon's not slow either." Shima noted, a hand shadowing his eyes. "That guy's good."

Rin turned and yelled challengingly, "You're slow, punk! Even if you're Mr. Smart in class, you're no good at the real thing!"

_This may be the only class he's gonna pass._

"What?!" Bon snarled back. "In real combat, the last one standing wins!"

After lots of yelling, tripping, scolding, and running, their turn was finally over. She was pretty sure Bon kicking Rin in the back counted as cheating, although truthfully she was thoroughly enjoying what they were providing her with.

_Idiots._

* * *

Her feet were burning along with her lungs.

But she couldn't stand the shame of being so far behind Shima.

Every step that she took drained more of what little energy she had, and the nearly constant vibrations of the Leaper's webbed feet slamming onto the ground almost tripped her more than once. Shima was already several feet in front of her and she was glad that he wasn't making it into a contest as much as Bon and Rin did.

He did, however, turn his head to her with a wide grin. "What's wrong, Takahiro-kun? I thought you'd be faster than this!"

_I will punch you._

But since he was unable to hear her fleeting thoughts, she simply gritted her teeth in response as her fingernails cut into her palm tighter, though she had to constantly lift one hand to the top of her head to make sure her hood didn't fly off. _Damn, this is such a disadvantage. _

Her calves and thighs screamed in silent agony as her breaths came out heavier and more painful with each step. _Just focus, _she told herself. _Don't think that a big-ass frog is chasing after you on a chain. Nope, that's not happening at all._

Her shoe caught on a stray rock.

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit-_

As her elbows met the ground, she glanced behind her and immediately wished that she hadn't. Since when had frogs become so intimidating?

Time slowed for a minute as gigantic red orbs stared into her soul. Briefly, all she could see was her own reflection in the oval-shaped pupils. On reflex she covered her face with her arms until the instructor yelled:

"_Oi!_"

New record for the day: First time getting frog spit on her hoodie.

With a heavy _clunk_, the chains around its neck rattled and harshly yanked the Leaper back to the center, which kicked a cloud of dust right in her face.

Snorting the dirt out of her nose, she felt herself heat up in humiliation as her teacher yelled down below. "What do you think you're doing? Do you want to die? Watch yourself from now on!"

At that moment in time she made a mental vow to start drinking when she was of age so it would be okay to throw the bottles at people.

"Kamiki-san and Moriyama-san! You're up next!"

"You okay?"

She glanced up from her hoodie, which had been ruined again. She seriously needed to get a new one. Shima looked down at her, offering a hand as well as some shade against the sun.

"That was quite a fall," He grinned, and she struggled against the heat, not needing to be made fun of. "Good to see you're not hurt."

The girl stared blankly in confusion. _What? Why do you care? We were just facing off and now I'm all sweaty and gross._

But the strawberry-haired boy just laughed. "I didn't think you'd be so traumatized. C'mon, get up." Just as she was about to refuse the help, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up to her feet, shocking her. Why would he want to be around the invisible person who couldn't respond to anything? _How stubborn can this guy get?_

"Good job, Shima-san!" Konekomaru called from the borders, and Shima gave him a thumbs up, running towards the ladder to meet up with his friends.

The girl took her time going up. _It's not like I have friends waiting for me to come back. _

_And that's how it's always gonna be._

The high-pitched ringing of a cell phone caught her ear.

"Whose phone is that? We're in the middle of class!" Bon said, disgusted.

"Yes, it's me." Tsubaki-sensei answered.

Bon made some sort of strangled whale sound and faceplanted into the ground.

"What is it, honey? What?!" The teacher's face twisted in astonishment and she couldn't help but wonder who the heck he was talking to. "Right now? You're such a reckless kitty."

She fought down her breakfast.

Thankfully after that horrifying ordeal, he hung up and put a finger up in the air. "Listen, everyone! Practice by yourselves for now!"

A collective "Huh?"erupted from the other students but she simply cringed. _What, did the kitty not use the litter box this time? What could be so important that a teacher has to ditch a class?_

"Leapers are generally docile demons." He explained. "However, they have the ability to attack you by reading your minds! You will not go down to the race court until I get back, and under no circumstances should you go within their reach! Get it? Understood!"

Tsubaki-sensei then proceeded to dash out of the ring while screaming, "I'm coming, my kitty!"

She coughed and cringed again. _Oh, yup. That's definitely bile. _

"Was our teacher really saying "my kitty"?" Shima asked awkwardly.

"Practice by ourselves in P.E.? Seriously?" Izumo said in disbelief.

"Can he do this?" Paku wondered.

_Good question. But now that he's gone, I can finally take another stab at killing Vanitas. The stubborn bastard._

"Oh, come on, and they call that a teacher?" Bon crossed his arms disapprovingly. "I thought True Cross Academy would be a sacred place of studying and determined people!"

_Well, you can't always get what you want in life. _She mulled it over a bit longer. _Although… that's kinda what I was thinking too. I thought so many super rich kids would be in the Exorcist training program, and this was it. And instead we get teachers who need to skip classes to change litter boxes. _

"And the students are no better either!" Even though it was meant to describe a whole, everyone knew it was directed at Rin.

"What is it now? You're starting to get on my nerves!" Rin shot back. "What do you know about my determination?"

"It's clear from how you act in class!"

Her lip twitched in annoyance. _I am this close to smashing your heads together if it'll shut you both up. It was fun at first but now it's starting to piss me off. _

"Here we go again…" Shima sighed.

Trying her best to strain out the sound of their voices, she leaned back against the wall, hands not leaving her pockets despite the fact she was covered in sweat. How annoying.

She studied the Leapers a little closer. From far away the monsters didn't seem frightening at all. In fact, they almost looked cute.

Her arm swiped against a bit of frog spit residue.

_I take it back._

Her heart nearly dropped through the floor again.

The butterfly was back.

A lot of things happened at once. Konekomaru and Shima tried to hold Bon back, and Rin was arguing with him as usual.

"If you can go down there and touch the demon without it attacking you, you win." Bon challenged, but his voice sounded so far away and drowned out in terror.

The butterfly fluttered onto the tip of the frog's barely-existent nose. Her blood pounded in her ears and her hands started trembling. _Why? Why is it back?_

"The Leapers look their opponents in the eye and read their minds. Fear, anger, grief, suspicion."

_Revenge._

"Point is, if you waver while you look it in the eye, it'll be your last mistake."

_Hate._

"If you aim to become a real Exorcist, dealing with such a small fry should be no problem."

_Desire._

"If you can get back without getting hurt, I'll acknowledge your determination."

_Greed._

"Of course, I'll do it too. And win!"

_Pity._

"So? Are you in?"

_Hate._

"Interesting! Alright then, I'm in!"

_Hate._

"Is what you thought I'd say, dumbass?"

_Hate._

Her legs whirred and before she could blink the wind was whipping against her face as she leaped forward, lunging off the outskirts of the ring.

She could vaguely hear her classmates yelling protests and concerns, but regardless of what they thought, her clouded mind forcing her to push up her sleeve and silently mouth:

_I beckon you by my side at once_

_Give me your beauty_

_Give me your wisdom_

_Give me your courage_

_Grant me the power to overcome the trials ahead_

_So that this world may become paradise. _

The ground sailed closer and closer and her feet kicked helplessly in the air, needing to land before she completely lost control. Snapping the two ends of her dagger together, she raised her sword high over her head.

_The Leaper can see it._

When her feet met the floor, she kicked up a cloud of dust as her legs melted and she fell into the dirt. Spitting out the bits of soil and rock from her mouth, she already felt a harsh scrape start to form on her face. Throwing away the embarrassment of the voices, the injury, the lack of self-confidence, she picked herself up and willed the sword not to slip out of her hand.

_The Leaper can see everything I feel.  
_

"What are you doing?" Somebody yelled. It sounded like Bon. "Get back here!"

The demon noticed her and simply stared. But the beautiful bug didn't fly away. Just sitting there, flapping its wings, silently taunting her.

_Why show me…_

"Takahiro-kun!" Shiemi.

_What I can never reach?_

A hot trickle of blood crawled down her hand. Her fingernails had cut into her hand too hard.

_But this time…_

She closed both hands around the sword.

_This time, I'll…_

"Who are you trying to fool?" A giggling voice asked. That was definitely Izumo, and she stopped raising the weapon, ready to kill it a second time. "How much attention do you need? Jumping into the contest all by yourself! You're not a kid anymore!"

She froze, and stared at her reflection in the blood-red eyes.

A teenage girl who'd lost nearly everything, who couldn't even speak, who had a bloodied cheek and sword in red hand, who had frog spit on her clothes.

A dirty excuse for a human filled with needless desire and vengeance.

_Stop looking at me like that…_

Her vision became blurry, but she knew it wasn't because of tears. That was impossible. It was out of detestation and frustration filling her up to the brim.

_**STOP THINKING THAT I'M NOT LIKE YOU!**_

A vibrating roar pierced her ears and she stumbled backwards, sword slipping out of her hand. It took her a second to realize that it had come from the Leaper, who looked like it was crying. Its bloodshot eyes were filled with the exact emotions she'd expected. A wave of vertigo washed down on her as the frog's jaws opened wide and the butterfly dissolved.

A blur of purple, yellow, and dark blue rushed in front of her.

Rin had been snared right in between its jaws.

She reached forward in protest. _Hey-!_

"Let go." He growled.

The Leaper's eyes widened and the iris went eerily black.

"I said…"

_What are you…_

"_Let go!"_

A cloud of dust swirled and eventually cleared out. When she looked up, Rin had the demon somewhat calmed but backed off against his hand.

"What are you doing?" He asked quietly. "Are you that stupid?"

She realized then that she was lying on her rear on the ground, sword kicked away.

"Listen up!" Rin shouted, turning around swiftly and pointing a finger in her face. "Today I'm buying enough ingredients for yakisoba, and if you don't show up Yukio won't let me eat your share!"

Her head swirled in confusion as everything sank in. _What? THAT'S your problem?_

"From now on, you're not allowed to die until after dinner!"

That was the last thing she remembered hearing before everything went black.

* * *

**A/N: HOLY CRAP WHY AM I SUCH A SLOW UPDATER. *raises shotgun*  
**

**This took so much longer to write than I thought it would... Plus I got distracted watching other animes so this was really put off! But don't worry, this story is nowhere near finished and I promise I'll get back on track. In return, I hope you enjoyed a longer chapter! **

**Thank you guys SO much for over 10 follows! This story is doing better than I thought! **

**Reviews would be much appreciated. 3**


	5. Favor asked, Promise made

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except my imagination belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.**

* * *

_Favor asked, Promise made_

That Okumura Rin guy was weird.

One second he was yelling, one second he was apologizing, one second he was punching, the other second he was throwing himself in front of frogs to protect a person he should've hated.

Maybe a weird cram school just did weird things to weird people.

Or maybe it was pity? Maybe he just felt bad, didn't want to take the blame for setting up a challenge that would get someone killed. Yeah, that must've been it. Nobody, no matter who you were or what you cared about, wanted to get kicked out of school so early in the year. Besides, wasn't he trying to prove his determination in the first place?

Determination…

She'd been telling herself she would definitely be an Exorcist, but was she really going to do it? So much was at stake, and from what she'd been learning, the expectations were set up so high. She didn't have any stamina at all, and she failed miserably at long-distance combat. The only thing she was fairly good at was hand-to-hand combat skills. That, and failing.

Despite all this, she knew she had to pull it together, and fast. Even though she knew this wasn't a contest, she couldn't stand the idea of Rin becoming an Exorcist before her.

But there was something else about him that seemed to be hiding something, just like how she was hiding nearly everything from everyone.

_Who are you?_

_And what kind of secrets do you have?_

For whatever reason there was, she was curious about something she never thought she'd ever have the heart to be curious about.

* * *

"Yeah, he's okay, just unconscious. I think."

The voice echoed emptily in her ears. Her head felt hollow and numb, even though she vaguely recalled she hadn't even been injured. Blackness shrouded her every movement, making it seem as though she was wading through a swamp filled with nothing but mud. Possibly molasses.

"His hand's just bleeding. Nothing Yukio can't patch up."

Was it from the lack of sleep that she was so unwilling to come back to life? Or the harsh reality she knew she would wake up to? Either way she was perfectly fine with skipping a bit more of P.E.

"Whoa, his face's also kinda scratched up."

Maybe Tsubaki-sensei was already done changing litter boxes and would just get back to the school and everyone could just wait till then. That's basically what he was telling them to do anyway.

"Should I check it out?"

She felt a tug on her hood, and her body snapped back to life as if she'd just been struck by lightning. Nearly tripping over her feet, she stumbled backwards and away from Rin. She realized then that he had been supporting her up the ladder and back to the outskirts of the stadium and her body temperature rose significantly. A hand shot up and tugged her hood down over her face so hard she was sure she heard a rip somewhere.

"Dumbass," Rin frowned. "The hell were you thinking, attacking the Leaper head-on? 'Sides, you're bleeding, so after class Yukio'll treat that."

She glanced at her hand, which was still fresh with crimson. If it hadn't dried, that must've meant she hadn't been knocked out for very long. Good. Nothing could possibly get more embarrassing knowing that Rin had _held _her for that long. Reaching up, her fingers grazed the scratch on her cheek. Did he see?

"Who're you calling a dumbass?" Bon argued, red in the face. "First you say you're not gonna take up the challenge, then you go and save a person by lunging right into it? What is wrong with you?"

"Are you deaf?" Rin yelled back. "I just didn't want him dying because then my food would go to waste!"

_Everything's about food, isn't it… _

Out of the corner of her vision, she could faintly see a retreating back and a flash of familiar chestnut brown.

She stopped and stared for a minute.

_Yukio?_

* * *

The sting of disinfectant felt like another jolt of electricity that made her bite her tongue as to not crinkle up her face as much. Despite this she knew her teacher was trying to be as gentle as possible, lightly holding the top of her hand up to wipe away the angry smudges of red that her fingernails had created. At least she didn't have to hold back any screams; they were silent anyway. Her fingers twitched as she tried to restrain herself from curling them into the cuts again.

"Try to bear with it a little longer," He said as he sat next to her on her bed. A small first-aid kit was open next to him and ready for use. "After this, I'll bandage the wound and then you're done."

She was sure that he would comment on the blue sealing tattoo on the underside of her right wrist, but to her surprise he hadn't said a word. He hadn't even asked her to take off her hood, or about how she got the injury. Maybe this guy was sharper than he looked. But it was hard not to trust someone like him; someone smart and reliable and… well, _sometimes_ kind. Somewhere in a corner of her heart she felt some sort of appreciation towards him that she couldn't deny. Even if he was the younger brother, he still had a lot of pressure on him, being an Exorcist and all. Being the responsible one was his duty around here.

She winced slightly at how tight the bandage was being wrapped, and for a moment she felt ashamed. Second day of school and she'd already gone and done something stupid. So much for blending in. And now it was so awkward too, both of them alone in her room sitting in the sheer silence.

"That should stop the bleeding. Please take care of yourself from now on, Takahiro-kun." Yukio pressed down the bandage strip, her hand now in both of his. As he started to return the items to the first-aid kit, she found her sketchbook and pen, but made sure to hold it against her chest so he wouldn't be able to see until she was finished.

_[Tell me more about you and Rin.]_ Even she was surprised to be asking such a thing, but she gently nudged her teacher's arm with it as he took it and scanned his eyes over the page.

Yukio smiled. "Me and Rin?"

She took the book back and scribbled down more words:

_[You seem so different from each other, and everyone admires you.]_ What? Why was she sounding so formal all of a sudden?

He closed his eyes as if recalling something important. "Maybe so, but I'm not that impressive of a person."

She angled her head so she could see his face properly.

"When I was little I was a crybaby, and my brother had to help me all the time." He didn't look embarrassed about it at all, and she was shocked he was actually going to tell her.

_[You?]_

He just smiled again. "He was always doing stuff I couldn't. So back then I admired him a lot. But people can't stay children forever."

_He's right, _she realized. _I can't keep depending on everyone to do the things I can't. _The girl ran a thumb along the row of cuts that had been freshly wrapped. _Plus I also gotta stop being so freaking dumb._

"Takahiro-kun. There's been something I've been meaning to ask you."

Her blood went cold in her veins. _Shit! If he's going to ask about the attacks we had yesterday, obviously now would be the time! Oh God, I'm an idiot-!_

"I understand that you and my brother haven't had the smoothest of experiences with each other since the school year began," He said, sending her completely off guard. "But regardless, you two are fellow Pages, and should learn to get along. An Exorcist cannot fight alone. I've checked the school records- it seems that both of you have many classes together."

_Yes, unfortunately. _She nodded just to confirm it.

Yukio pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Before I became an Exorcist, I promised that I would protect my brother. But I'm beginning to fear that my strength alone won't be enough soon."

_What does that mean? And protect him from what?_

He took a deep breath, unwavering, and finally asked: "Takahiro-kun. Please take care of my brother in my stead if necessary."

She opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it. Obviously Rin was really important to her young teacher. That much she understood. Honestly she couldn't blame him for asking; but _why her? _Why not ask Shiemi, or someone who was actually friends with the guy? Asking her, who he had just admitted didn't like his brother, didn't make any sense.

So that's exactly what she asked, uncaring of how rude she sounded. _[Shiemi?]_

His fingers lightly touched in his lap, not completely lacing together. "Shiemi-san is only in the cram school, therefore she does not have any regular high school classes with Rin. And since we're all in the same dorm, it should be most convenient if I'm not here." His aqua eyes hardened suddenly. "Some may say I'm simply paranoid. But I'm just worried to leave him alone."

_What is he even in danger of?_

She wanted to ask why again, but held the pen tight in her hand instead, ceasing it from moving any further. How could she say no? After she'd nearly dislocated the neck of one of the most important people to him and knocked her own teacher unconscious with her sword, she owed him at least this much. Something to make up for it. Besides, it couldn't be _so _hard to watch over his brother and make sure he didn't do anything stupid. And this way she could earn his trust, too. Surely if she stayed true to her word, the chances of him suspecting her as the attacker could grow smaller by the day.

Maybe he'd even go softer on her in terms of schoolwork too…

_[Okay. I promise I'll do my best.]_

Yukio's face brightened the second his eyes hit the page. "Is that so? You have my thanks, Takahiro-kun. I'm counting on you- so please take care of him."

Her stomach twisted immediately, already feeling the pressure. _Oh God, what have I gotten myself into? _

"He's reckless and doesn't think things through." He smiled wryly. "He always gets embarrassed when I look after him, but deep down he's a good person. So please give him a chance."

She glanced at her teacher again. _Give him a chance…_

"Let's clean the wound on your face now. I almost forgot it was there." He turned back around to open the box again, but she quickly shook her head with a wave of her hand.

_[I'll do it myself.] _Her writing was barely eligible, but she didn't care.

"Alright then." He nodded, but she noticed he looked a bit surprised at her hastiness. "Please return this once you're finished." Yukio handed her the small metal box, and she bowed and left the room, nearly tripping over her feet.

The sound of her echoing footsteps was the only sound in the silent halls, along with the occasional rattle of the scissors or bandages in the first-aid kit. Her pace eventually slowed, regret starting to worm its way into her heart. Had she really just promised her teacher something that sounded nearly impossible? Being around a guy like that meant she had to guard herself even more than usual since her intentions were to stay low so she wouldn't get found out.

_This may be my only chance to clear my name. Or maybe _I'm _the one who's being paranoid? Maybe he doesn't even suspect me; I'm just overthinking things. Right? _A breathless sigh escaped her pale lips. _Either way, there's no changing it. He's depending on me. It's too late now._

Finally she found her way into the bathroom, except she paused outside both doors.

With a slight shudder, she pushed the girl's door open, feeling more alone than she ever had in her life despite the fact there were so many people around her.

There wasn't much of a difference between the two bathrooms, besides the toilets and such. When she reached the sink, she set the kit on the tiled floor and took a good, long look at herself in the slightly cracked and stained mirror as she brushed her hood back.

The frog spit had left a giant snot-like stain on the left side of her top, and it was too late to try to wash it off. It looked crusty and disgusting and she fought the urge to cringe or rip the article of clothing right off. Slowly she curled her fingers under her wig and removed it along with the cap. But it's not like she had anything to hide.

For the first time in a while she looked at what was underneath. A completely bald head, nothing but a layer of skin over empty eye sockets. There were no gaping black holes there, just… skin. Skin so pale it seemed as if it had never been graced by the sun, only moonlight and shadows. And she hated it; hated every inch of her body and face with a revulsion so deep she could feel it running through her veins, seeping through her every pore.

Bitter blood trickled from her bitten tongue as she gripped the rim of the sink so hard her knuckles turned white.

Her back hunched over as she vomited all her anger into the drain.

* * *

Fifteen minutes and a bandage later, she took a shaky breath in, steadying herself when she smelled the most amazing thing her nose had ever caught a whiff of. Holding the first-aid kit close to her, she stomped down the hallways, in a trance from whatever was frying.

Turning around the corner towards the kitchen, she nearly keeled over. Rin was there with his bangs clipped up and an apron tied around his waist and she had to do a double take to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

Why was someone who looked so rebellious and acted like an idiot in their kitchen, _cooking_?

And why was nothing on fire either?

She slapped her cheeks and pinched herself but all she heard was a slight humming sound- from Rin, maybe- and the sizzling of the frying pan. _Whoa. Okay. So I'm not dreaming. What the hell is he-?_

"Hey."

_Crap, he noticed me! _

Rin just grinned widely and rubbed his forehead with his wrist, a spatula still in the other hand. "Whatcha doing? You hungry already?"

_I wasn't until I smelled the yakisoba. _

She shook her head and crossed over to where he was cooking. Leaning over to look at the pan, the golden-brown noodles, sprinkled with vegetables and meat, weren't burnt at all. In fact, they looked amazing. It took all her self-control to not drool all over the pan.

"Well, suit yourself." He said as he scratched the back of his head. "If not, I'll just leave some for you in the fridge if you get hungry or whatever. Yukio and I are gonna eat first then."

She immediately regretted lying about her hunger. _Wha- no, I wanna eat too! _She attempted to correct herself with another shake of her head and waving her hand left and right.

He arched an eyebrow. "What? What is it?"

She sighed and rubbed her temples. _God, this is so annoying. _

"Are you eating or not?"

She nodded. _Hell yes! I'm starving!_

"Wait, what does that mean then? 'Yes' you're eating or 'Yes' you don't want to?" His voice began to rise with confusion, his pupils beginning to dilate in shock.

Cringe. _What?! How the hell does that even work? Jesus Christ, I need an encyclopedia to talk to this guy. _To make sure she got her frustration across to someone as dense as him, she slapped her hands over her eyes and bent over dramatically.

"So you _are _eating… right?"

She shot straight up and nodded vigorously.

Rin just smiled again. "Great! But seriously." He glanced over at her and glared. "Don't you dare waste my food."

_You also set up a rule that I wasn't allowed to die till after dinner. What a blockhead. _

When she started to turn, he spoke up again. "Your hand okay now? Yukio fixed it, right?"

_Well, at least he has the nerve to ask yes-or-no questions. _Her teeth gnashed together. _Just the kind of questions I hate. Like I'm some charity case or a dumbass who can't tell left from right. _

She nodded again despite the growing lump in her throat and forced herself not to lose it. Why was _everything _so provoking?

He abandoned his post at the frying pan to grab three plates from a nearby cupboard. "How'd you cut it, anyway?"

She curled and uncurled her fist to him, and he looked carefully at it with his strangely cerulean eyes. "Whoa, you can actually cut it like that? That's…" He fumbled for the right word for a bit. "That's… weird! I-It's not like it's a knife or anything!" She noticed that his cheeks flushed slightly and his words rushed out faster; probably natural reactions to curse his inability to act like a human being. "Like, you can't use it to cut vegetables or fruit or steak or paper! That's- That's just _weird!_"

Another cringe, but not in disgust. _What… What's with this guy? He's calling _me _weird?_

Rin frowned. "Don't do that."

She took a moment for the words to sink in. _Well, it's not every day you see someone bleed from fingernails. Guess he's right. It is weird. _

"Imagine if you _could _cut things with your nails though!" The raven-haired boy's eyes started sparkling in excitement as he stirred around the noodles some more. "It'd be so cool! I'd never have to buy another knife again. And cutting steak would be _so _much easier! Wasn't there some kinda superhero something-or-other that can slice up things with his freaky long nails? He looked like some giant dog! Oh, or was it a wolf?"

Suddenly the frying yakisoba seemed a hell of a lot more interesting.

"But, you know," The blue orbs calmed again, and a softer, fonder kind of smile crept onto his lips. "Yukio's the younger one, but he's gonna be a doctor someday. And here I am just making yakisoba. I lived with a bunch of guys before I came here, and everybody sucked at cooking. It's always more fun to cook for other people though, not just yourself."

The girl would've blinked in surprise. Did she really just manage to have a somewhat decent conversation with this guy without being at each other's throats? Though she supposed it wouldn't be a bad thing to partake in it; she _should _get to know who she was supposed to be watching over. It would be inevitable anyway.

She opened her shoulder bag and pulled out her sketchbook, setting the first-aid kit on the counter.

_[I make really good cereal.] _

He snorted in laughter. "That doesn't count!" He reached over and turned off the heat as he started to pile the noodles onto the plates. It made her uncomfortable somehow, but bit by bit she could feel the wall of ice they'd built begin to melt, just around the edges with a topic as light as cooking.

Rin handed a plate to her and she could hardly refrain from shoving her face into it and ending the torture twisting in her gut.

"Let's eat."

* * *

When the fork finally met its destined location, she nearly fell out of her chair.

It wasn't horrible.

It was actually one of the best things she'd ever tasted.

All the flavors were in perfect harmony- every ingredient, just the taste, was in a balance that could only be described as flawless.

"So, how is it?" Rin asked. "It's great, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," Yukio assured him, looking quite satisfied himself. "After all, it is your only productive ability."

He bristled right away, shoulders scrunching up in distaste. "Shut it, moley four-eyes." He then turned to the girl who was sitting beside him. "Kyohei! How about you? It's perfect, right?"

_Well, if you give me the option, I'm not gonna admit it. _She shrugged a response.

A dark, depressing aura seemed to shroud Rin for the next ten minutes. "You people are so damn hard to please…"

Yukio smiled and Rin started protesting. Slowly, she felt herself start to warm. It wasn't immediate, and it wasn't magic, but she kind of felt like she would be okay with living with these two.

* * *

Two hours later, she returned to the kitchen to pick up the forgotten metal box and was padding down the hallways to room 602. The sun had long dipped below the horizon, showering the world with blackness. A tiny sliver of a crescent moon began to clear from the clouds.

"If Father had a weakness, it would definitely be you."

Her feet whirred to a stop.

"Are you saying I killed him?"

The heartbeat in her chest thudded a little louder, a little harder.

"Isn't that the case? Father was the strongest Exorcist there was. As long as his willpower didn't falter he would've still kept that title!"

What? Their dad was an Exorcist? Since when? He was dead? Too many questions swirled in her head and she struggled to hear, tiptoeing closer to the door.

"There's nothing I could say that won't sound like an excuse." Rin's voice was softer and more vulnerable than she'd ever heard it. "But do you think I wanted him to die protecting me?"

She realized the hands that held the box were shaking slightly.

"Stop screwing around." He growled forcefully. "I'm not like this because I want to be either!"

The girl closed her fingers around the kit so hard they went white. Be like _what_?

"You're right to call me an idiot, so I don't care if you tell me that." The soft tone was back. "But… don't you go pointing a gun at your own sibling! We're brothers, aren't we?!"

A long silence dragged out, and she waited for Yukio to say something to that. Was her teacher _really _pointing a gun at his brother? Didn't he say he wanted to protect him? Was he really going to shoot? She silently contemplated whether or not to burst in there and stop him but she would definitely get it serious trouble for eavesdropping. _Please don't shoot, _she mentally prayed. _Good Lord, please don't shoot, Yukio. _

As quietly as she could, she set the box down in front of their door and left, the rest of the conversation being soft-spoken and quiet. But she caught some final, louder words as she turned her back:

"I just want to get stronger."

Maybe this guy had more in common with her than she thought.

* * *

**A/N: Kay. So. I really need to update this thing more often D: Sorry that this one is shorter and doesn't have as much development or action. This was just kind of a 'settling down' chapter, but it'll look up soon! I just wanted to give a little more progression and insight to my OC and her thoughts (as if I don't enough already.)  
**

**OH MY GOD. OVER 20 FOLLOWS. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. ; u ; I promise I'll do my best to post up chapters for you! **

**Feel free to review and tell me what you think! **

❤❤ 


	6. Liar

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Blue Exorcist or Kingdom Hearts. Everything except my imagination belongs to Kazue Kato, Square Enix, and the rightful owners.**

* * *

_Liar_

Friday could not have come soon enough.

The second she returned to room 208, she threw down her bag, climbed up the bunk bed, and covered herself in pillows and blankets while attempting to kill Vanitas for the next three hours until she decided it was unhealthy and had a bowl of cookie dough ice cream. (Irony fully intended.)

_The homework can wait till Sunday. _

The first week of cram school was over, and normal classes along with cram school classes would take place starting Monday. Things were gonna get a hell of a lot busier, and she was not looking forward to it. Therefore she decided to make the most of her time worthwhile. And by worthwhile she meant locking herself in her room with a day's worth of food and doing nothing but play around on her PSP all day. To her it sounded pretty damn fulfilling. Besides, she should've been enjoying it while it was still easy, right? And that's exactly what she would do.

That Saturday morning, she slept in till 11:30 on the top bunk feeling still a bit drowsy but nonetheless amazing after getting up so early every day. Draping her frog-spitted hoodie on a computer chair, she tugged on her Wildebeest Corner hoodie instead- a dark green one with printed red letters and the trademark symbol on the front. It was about a size too big and the sleeves fell past her wrists, but it was comfortable, even if she and her aunt had been trying too hard to give her a boyish image. She then clambered back up and shotlocked and died about fifty more times but each time it happened was only more motivation to finish the story.

A sharp series of knocks sounded at her door at around noon, and she nearly fell out of the bed. She did, however, lose her focus as well and soon the 'try again' button was laughing at her. _Dammit, not again! He had two health bars left! This better be important. _

"Oi, Kyohei!" Rin's voice was outside the door. "Me and Yukio are going shopping today. We're out of ingredients for tonight's dinner!"

_So? I'm old enough to stay in an asylum baby by myself. _She retorted childishly in her head.

"We'd like you to come with us." She could almost hear Yukio's polite smile from the other side; and from the sound of it it wasn't even a question- it was an order, some indirectly spoken message that meant to say- _You promised. _

_Damn, he's really taking this seriously. _Turning off the game, she leaped down from the bed and opened the door to see the twins waiting for her in her doorway.

With a silent sigh, she nodded and followed.

* * *

Walking around the True Cross Academy town was a lot more different than just driving past it. You really noticed all the different colours, buildings, people that passed by. Cute little shops and bakeries and clothing stores adorned the sidewalks, and the town seemed more colourful and full of life and chatter in the air. Cars whizzed by without another thought in the world and the weather was warm, but with a cool breeze that made wearing a winter sweater somewhat bearable.

Hands in pockets, she trailed behind the brothers, who were talking casually. And before she knew it, she was invisible again. Just like always. Having long grown used to it, it didn't quite annoy her as much. Walking while writing was a pain in the ass anyway, so joining was obviously out of the question.

This part of town seemed strangely… normal compared to the Academy. Where were all the magic and weird occurrences it was supposed to have?

Her feet paused in front of a curio shop that had all kinds of TVs displayed behind the glass. Some sort of commercial was playing, advertising a new hot spring resort on about ten different screens.

A round woman stood in a rural-looking settlement, the kind with tiled roofs and wooden houses and gesturing dramatically to almost everything around her. Cherry red lipstick was smudged all over her lips and it looked like her makeup was running either from sweat or the climate. The girl couldn't suppress the smirk of amusement. She looked like she was crying while advertising and that was a marketing tactic she hadn't seen before.

"Welcome to Hosenka, the newest spa town! Come take a dip in our beautiful hot springs and let all your worries flow away!" The lady warbled.

_Jesus Christ, who wrote this script? _

Something else caught her eye. There, in the background, was a resident walking past in a blue kimono and a basket in hand. She must've only been on screen for about five seconds tops, but the girl felt herself go weak in the knees.

Long, light, walnut coloured hair.

Violet irises that smiled in the sunlight.

Any sound being made was drowned out by the flurry of unanswered thoughts. Why? Why did someone who looked exactly like her walking around in some resort town? Was that the demon? How did it take a human form?

Reckless assumptions flew through her brain. _It's me. It's me that's on there. The demon took my face and turned into a human and now it's going to kill everyone around it until it grows bored of how it looks now. And if that happens… _

Her legs were trembling furiously as the words the lady on the screen spat out were distorted and eerie.

_If I don't kill it by the time it steals another face, I'll never have my appearance back ever again. Killing it should be enough, right? It should release the hold it has on what's mine, and it should come back to me. Maybe… Maybe it took my voice too! If I kill it, it'll give me back my voice too, shouldn't it?_

A sharp smack on the head brought her back to her senses, as well as making a bubble of anger swell up within her.

Rin in a red plaid shirt looked right at her. "Why are you staring at the screen like that?" A goofy grin appeared when he saw the commercial too. "Whoa, are we gonna go to a hot spring? Awesome!"

_It's not like you would understand why I was. _

Yukio was by her side right away. "Oh, so you were watching this. It seems like a nice enough place, but I must say I'm skeptical of how the actual hot springs are. And it's on the outskirts of the Academy town, too. It would take several hours just to walk there."

"Don't be so uptight, Yukio." The raven laced his fingers behind his head. "We've never even been to one before!" He smiled sheepishly but regardless still as goofy as ever.

_Seriously? _She was slightly astonished.

"Now isn't the time to be thinking about vacation, Rin." Yukio put on that gentle, elderly-brother smile. "After all, school's just started. How's your homework going?"

He blinked. "Homework?"

The teacher sighed. "I just assigned it yesterday, remember? You have to study up on your pharmaceutical herbs. I would ask Suguro-kun to help you, but I don't think that's the best idea. But at least Takahiro-kun is working harder than you."

She would've blinked too upon having realized just then that her teacher had begun addressing her as Takahiro-_kun _rather than –_san _unlike how they first met, though she didn't know why it mattered. He addressed everyone the same.

Then she remembered what he said and thought: _You won't be thinking that much longer if you ever walk in on me in my room. _

"If it's not too much to ask, could you perhaps help my brother to study sometime? I would greatly appreciate it." Yukio turned to her.

_Dammit Yukio, stop making that face. You're making me feel like I owe you something. _She noticed that she _did _in fact owe him from hurting him that night, and quickly corrected herself in her head.

"Wha- I don't need a private tutor!" Rin looked flustered and glanced away. "You of all people would know I'm not good at that kinda stuff!"

As the brothers began arguing once again, her feet felt heavier and heavier with each step, as if she were walking through wet cement. The chubby lady was no longer on screen, and neither was her newly-found twin or her answers.

* * *

She spent the rest of the day trying to rid herself of what she'd seen; to convince herself that it wasn't what she thought it was. _Besides, knowing me, I'd probably end up doing something undeniably stupid. Stupid, stupid, STUPID! _With every angry word thought she mashed harder on the X button, making her blonde hero swing his Keyblade towards the ultimate enemy; Vanitas.

Her legs hung over the side of the large fountain in the middle of the school courtyard, which was a lot emptier during weekends. Exactly what she needed. The rushing water was peaceful along with the intense battle music, even if the sound was mostly muffled from her furious thoughts and silent curses.

"Oi."

The sudden voice made her PSP slip out of her hands for a bit, which were damp with cold sweat. _Dammit, that was one bar left!_

But why the heck was Rin there? At least if she needed to talk she had her sketchbook with her.

He hopped up on the fountain next to her and she did her best not to move away in paranoia of him seeing her face. "Whatcha doing? Yukio was looking for you, you know."

_And you weren't?_

Cerulean orbs started sparkling as if he'd never seen a gaming console in his life. "Whoa! What game is that?"

_Wow, he really doesn't know?_

She turned it off and turned it back on to show him the title screen. At that point she could've sworn diamonds had grown into his eyes. "Awesome!" He pointed to the screen. "Can I try?"

She bristled immediately and swung her arms back, swinging the precious machine out of his reach. _Of course not! This is my favorite game! _

That much he understood and frowned. "Oh, come on! Please?" He pressed a hand onto her shoulder in an attempt to reach over and grab the console out of her other hand and she stiffened at the physical contact. Quickly she lifted it out of his reach, scooting over on the fountain. _No way! You've never even played it anyway. Don't add onto my death count of fifty-six!_

He kicked his heels impatiently on the side of the fountain, looking flustered again. "Well… can I at least watch you play?"

She wished she could've blinked again. What was his deal? If Yukio was looking for her, he could've just gone back by now.

_Still… I hate being under pressure. _A frown touched her usually blank features.

But she glanced over at him and looked a little more carefully at the diamonds in his eyes and found it increasingly difficult to say no. He looked like he'd just walked into a candy store full of sukiyaki.

A breathless sigh escaped her lips as she gave a shrug.

"Cool!" He brightened right away and leaned over her shoulder and she immediately regretted her decision. _Ugh, there's no way I can play properly like this. I have to make sure he doesn't see it too…_

"Whoa!" Rin breathed, dumbfounded as Vanitas appeared on the screen. "Who the hell is that guy? He looks tough!"

_Wow, he really has never seen a game before. He's the villain, duh. _

Rin was watching in awe as she mashed the buttons and activated shotlock focus, and eventually she forgot he was there up until the moment she died for the fifty-seventh time. The funny thing is she didn't do any worse but not any better either. _Guess it doesn't matter whether he's here or not._

"Amazing!" He sounded just like a kid, and she was surprised at his excitement. _So what? I didn't even win. _"Aren't you gonna go again? That was so cool!" He asked in disbelief as she turned off the game and carefully tucked it into her hoodie pocket. She shook her head and started to pull out her sketchbook. _It's not like I can't! Don't doubt me! _Was ultimately her motive to explain.

She started writing:

_[I can't beat him]_

When she was suddenly interrupted.

"Why the hell not?" Rin burst out, still looking over her shoulder.

A scowl of anger and disapproval appeared on her face and she scooted herself even farther away from the raven-haired boy, pushing her sketchbook into her stomach so hard the coils started cutting into her fingers.

"Kyohei?" He called, but she definitely was not going back.

To make sure he knew she was angry, she shoved the book in his face and waited for the reaction.

_[Don't answer before I finish.]_

His somewhat teal eyes widened a little. "Huh?"

She pulled it back to her for a few seconds before repeating the irritated motion.

_[I hate that.] _

"Oh." A calmer expression crept onto his face, and she could tell he felt remorse. "Sorry."

The girl didn't seem to be satisfied with the fact that he was regretful though, but she would've stayed annoyed at him if he hadn't apologized. It was a strangely mellow feeling; one outcome didn't outweigh the other.

A silence fell between them, minus the sound of rushing water behind them. The blue orbs flickered away from her, uneasy from not receiving a response. Not that she had a problem with it- when you can't talk, silence is the only thing you can expect. She swung her legs back and forth much like he had been a couple moments ago and started twirling her black pen in her fingers again, the bad habit taking over. She wondered for a split second if it would be okay to just get up and leave. They were done talking, weren't they? It took her a few seconds to notice that she was biting the inside of her cheek.

Suddenly he burst into a chain of awkward laughter, hand threading through his dark locks and eyes squeezing shut. "Honestly I can't remember the last time I played a video game."

Her head angled back to him, not quite making eye contact.

His hand fell back into his lap, playing idly at his fingers. "We didn't have much money back at the monastery, so Yukio and I never got everything we wanted. It was okay though, 'cause we managed to pull through one way or another." Some sort of faraway look glazed over his eyes. "The last time I've been to a theater was when I was ten. Birthday treat." His gaze landed back on her with a look she couldn't identify. It seemed nostalgic, and just a bit melancholy and she felt the urge to ask so much more about his life before coming to the Academy. He was definitely hiding something like her.

She mentally slapped herself upon realizing that she was actually listening a little too carefully.

It took a while for her to notice that he was waiting for a reaction, but his attention didn't waver. She wrote down as fast as she could:

_[Why are you telling me?] _First it was the cooking history, now it was about his life at the monastery… Sure, she was curious about it, but she never needed to know so early.

That flustered look appeared again. "Well, not like we've got anyone to tell. So don't you dare go blabbing to everyone about it!"

_What? It's not like I can. _She shot back in her head.

"Besides," He chirped a bit more brightly than his previous tone. His hands laced behind his head again and his eyes closed. "I don't have a reason to not trust you, even if you are a dumbass." The way he said it made it sound like he was ordering a burger at a fast food court. But the words didn't offend her quite as much.

Because she knew now. Somebody trusted her, and it was a weird feeling she hadn't felt in ages. A small prick of guilt poked at her heart knowing that she'd hurt him on the first day and he still trusted her, didn't even suspect her of anything. She wondered for a moment if she would ever end up telling him the truth.

Her hand twitched and she wrote down one last closing sentence:

_[I'm hungry.] _

Rin pushed himself off the fountain and stopped to look at her. "Then let's go back. Yukio's probably freaking out, but just you wait!" He pointed a confident finger at her as his eyes narrowed. "Someday, my younger brother's gonna be running up to me asking for help!"

Something resembling a smirk touched her face.

_I guess he's had his pride injured enough from his younger brother showing him up all the time. _She thought as she followed him back to their asylum baby dorm. _Well, I gotta say I'm doing pretty good at keeping him in line like Yukio wanted me to. Keep this up and my name'll be clear. _

But she noticed one other thing.

For that little moment of time, she wasn't invisible anymore. While she was writing, he didn't start talking or even look away.

She liked it.

* * *

2:57.

2:58.

2:59.

3:00.

The minutes ticked by as dreadfully as she could imagine. Reduced to nothing but a loose-fitting tank top and shorts, she curled herself up into a ball under the covers and waited anxiously for sleep to find her.

Unfortunately, she had some sort of disease that repelled the idea of rest to draw her into its seductive pit.

She'd left the curtains open again, letting the moonlight and faint street lights wash over the floors and table. Most of the boxes had been unpacked, the remainder of them piled in the closet. For the most part the room was clean, albeit the occasional lost sock or pencil or sheet of paper she told herself she'd pick up until her cravings told her to go eat. Someday she'd find the time to line up her books on the mini-shelf her aunt insisted she bring, or to sort out her notebooks into the proper binders. Just not tonight.

Talking to Rin and playing _Birth by Sleep _definitely did help her get her mind off the commercial, but she couldn't ward off the memories when she was alone like this. Just curled up, all alone, there was nothing that could repel the fleeting thoughts.

Her body broke into a cold sweat and her hands suddenly felt freezing and clammy. She had to force herself to keep breathing when she realized then she was shaking. A wave of vertigo washed over her body and she held in the urge to throw up. Her legs rattled under the blankets and she crushed herself into them tighter, throat dry and lips feeling cracked.

_What if it's true? _The paranoid thoughts rushed in and out again. _What if this is my only chance to get it back? Who knows how long it'll be until it gets bored of my face and steals another? _Her sticky hands let go of the blankets and lightly touched at her cheeks.

She shook herself out of her trance and slapped them instead. _God, get a hold of yourself, Chiho! You-_

The only sound for a while was her heart thudding in her chest as her words hit a stop.

_When was the last time I called myself that? I know I'll never be Murakami Chiho ever again. As of now, till I get what I'm looking for, I'll only be Takahiro Kyohei. A monster. _

She fought back the nonexistent tears and the growing lump in her throat.

_I don't want to be a monster anymore. _

The girl couldn't remember the last time she _knew _she was so vulnerable and weak, even though nobody could hear the words except her. But it still hurt. It hurt that she couldn't talk. It hurt that she couldn't get close to people in fear of them seeing what lay underneath. It hurt that others could never tell that she was sad and had to resort to bottling up all her feelings instead because no one else could hear or tell her everything would be okay.

It hurt.

She sat up straight and swung her legs off the edge of the bed, abandoning the warmth of her bed. Grabbing her hoodie and slacks, she dressed mechanically. It was strange. It was as if her body was there, doing its own thing and moving but her mind was completely elsewhere and blank.

It wasn't until the cold night air struck her that she realized she'd actually walked right out of the dorm. The world was completely quiet as she turned around and stared at the old building and the twinkling stars up above.

_Even if it's stupid, even if it won't work, even if I get expelled…_

She breathed in a shuddering breath and exhaled slowly through her mouth, licking her dry lips.

_I have to try. _

Her fingers cut into the strap of her shoulder bag as she stiffly moved her legs forward in the night, not quite sure of what she was doing herself.

Moving quickly, she rushed towards the gates that lead to the road outside the academy. Maybe that was something she could follow until she reached Hosenka.

Before her hand could even reach the metal, a voice nearly made her jump out of her skin.

"May I ask where you're going, Miss?"

She leaped backwards and spun, hand flying over her sealing tattoo. _Shit!_

But Mephisto was perfectly awake and not the least bit startled. Why the hell was he still awake at three in the morning?

He just smiled in that way she didn't trust. "All students are required to be in their dorms resting until seven o'clock the next morning. Surely you understand that rule. Why are you still out and about at this time to leave my Academy? Is something the matter?"

_Such an open-ended question. Surely he's doing this on purpose. _Her teeth gnashed together, expecting the yelling to begin and the detentions to pile up.

A rush of air whooshed past her and her jaw nearly fell on the ground. Mephisto was opening the magical barrier surrounding the gate! Why hadn't she thought one would be there? Charms and spells were all over campus, after all. Of course the front gates were sealed. She scolded herself for forgetting.

But why was he opening it in the first place?

Shards of the magic circle flew around the principal, and the gate hinged open. He tossed a sideways look to the dumbfounded girl.

"Reaching Hosenka would be quite troublesome if you were to walk. Follow me. I shall escort you there by car."

Wait.

What?

He took note of her shocked air and chuckled. "Say, Takahiro-kun, would you be willing to make a wager with me?"

She drew back slightly in confusion. A wager?

Mephisto turned around to face her, walking closer and closer. She fought the urge to run away and planted her feet on the ground, refusing to show weakness in front of him.

"Yes, a wager." His emerald green eyes shone unnaturally bright in the darkness. "If you can reach Hosenka and have your appearance returned to you, you win. But if you fail-" He poked a gloved finger above her heart, a smirk splitting his face. "You shall not be allowed to attend Academy classes any longer."

Her breathing must have stopped for a cumulative total of thirty seconds to take in what had just been said. Yes, the principal knew of the circumstances she was under, and yes, she wanted back what was rightfully hers. But not being able to go to the cram school if she couldn't do it? That was unimaginably unreasonable. Why did the stakes have to be so high? An anvil started falling and settling in the pit of her stomach. That's what it felt like- the pressure.

She opened her mouth even though she knew no sound would come out and hastily shut it as her violet-haired superior kept talking.

"And if you refuse-" He leaned in infuriatingly close but she refused to move both out of defiance and shock. She could've sworn bile began to rise when she smelled the intoxicating scent of instant noodles and sickly sweet cologne lingering off of him. "I will not allow you to enter my car and a strict punishment will be distributed for sneaking outside after lights-out."

_What?! _She mouthed, which was rare.

"Best to make your choice soon, yes?" He flicked up the rim of his hat, expression playful yet dangerous, as if he were watching someone who was falling off a tightrope and knew it would happen. Just the gleam of his eyes made her go weak in the knees and the inside of her cheek was being bitten again.

_What should I do? _She racked her brain as her fingers flinched and refrained from cutting into the bandages on her palm again. _I won't have enough time to get back if I don't go there by car. It'll be worse if I get caught in the morning and don't have an explanation, but this... I don't even know why he's offering. Can I really trust him to get me there safe and back? _Her gaze flickered to the principal, who appeared to be playing a game on his overly-decorated pink phone, which was perfectly normal in his terms. _I don't have any other option. If I go without him he might report to the authorities. _

She nodded sharply when he raised his head.

With an amused look on his pale visage, he snapped his phone shut and slid it into one of seemingly many pockets of his white coat.

"Well, then. Shall we go?"

* * *

The street lights outside were almost blindingly bright against the black of night, and she focused on the moving roads beneath them, heart heavy and never ceasing to remind her of what she lacked.

She tugged at the oversized sleeves of her hoodie nonchalantly, silently begging Mephisto to not say a word and surprisingly someone finally did something she requested. A pleased grin just stayed plastered on his lips as he looked out the long windows as well.

Though the sights and blurs were mesmerizing in a way, her mind refused to let her feel drowsy. Anxiety and nervousness twisted her stomach in knots and the recycled oxygen in the car started to feel harder and harder to breathe. Maybe she could've opened a window, but her hands wouldn't move. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat feeling a drop of sweat trickle down her back.

She would've said that she closed her eyes, but she just let it be.

The world went black, but sleep was still far out of the question.

* * *

The girl had no idea how long they'd been driving, but it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes. When the ridiculous pink limousine whirred to a stop, she almost banged her head on the roof of the car standing up.

She didn't look back as she exited the car, leaving her principal behind without a word.

Her footsteps were light and hushed as she quickly made her way into the rustic village. Just like it had looked in the commercial, old-fashioned wooden houses with roofed tiles were scattered all over. Clotheslines fluttered in the chill, rows of crops beside homes. It was honestly the first time she'd seen a village like this, more or less walked through it. But now wasn't the time for sight-seeing.

_Shit, _she bit her lip. _I never thought about which house she would be in. How can I find it without looking like a stalker? I don't have much time to… _Her thought process rapidly deteriorated. To do _what_?

After wandering the village meaninglessly, she came in front of a smaller, run-down house that only had a simple curtain in the doorway. A familiar straw basket was placed on the tiny porch next to the doorway, and the same blue kimono her twin was wearing was neatly folded inside. Sucking in a tight breath, she pushed her shoulders back and lightly hooked her fingers around the curtain, pulling gently.

_Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. _She chanted in her mind like a mantra as she willed herself to adjust to the darkness faster. Regardless of what her young teacher told her she let her fingernails bite into the bandages again to hold back some steam.

Not being able to blink was a problem since it took longer to adapt to the new surroundings. The faint smell of cooking oil, wood, and… baby powder?

Plastering herself to the wall next to the entrance, she found a corner and began mouthing the words to summon her sword, pressing a palm against her wrist and rising slowly to close her fingers tightly around the familiarized grip. The blue light shone and she suppressed as much of it as she could. After she had her sword tight in her hand, she allowed the light to shine a bit more to guide her through the house.

A small round table was in the middle of the room, and an even smaller sink, stove, and counter on the other side. A cabinet filled with dishes was on the opposite. Not leaving the wall, she slid further inside, random obscenities whirling through her head.

She slid open a door leading into a bedroom and nearly jumped when she sensed a human presence. The soft sound of breathing filled the house and after a few seconds more of listening she realized there was definitely more than one person in it.

Creeping inside, the blue aura from her wrist illuminated the room, casting shadows over the bodies.

The first thing she noticed was her twin- no, _her_. Sleeping on a futon with the most peaceful look on her face. She studied her closer, blood pounding in her ears.

Her long, light brown hair was spread out all around her like a halo. Slightly tanned skin, a few barely noticeable freckles. It was all there, even a light, diagonal scar branching from the end of her left eyebrow to the bridge of her nose where a rabid squirrel had scratched her when she was seven. Everything was exactly the same and there, in that moment in the dark, she knew.

This had to be her. This was the demon.

_Tch. _She chewed furiously on the inside of her cheek until she shone the light over her whole body. Miraculously she didn't wake, but instead revealed three babies snuggled up in both her arms.

The girl nearly fell stepping backwards in horror until her back hit the wall. Why? Why did it have children? Weren't those the offspring of a demon then? Wouldn't that mean they would have to be killed too? If they turned out to be the exact same, they would just live on and steal whatever it was they wanted when they got bored of how they looked. Her sword almost slipped out of her hand.

It had babies with another man using her face.

She felt her dinner rising to her mouth and she clamped a hand over it, frantic breaths escaping from her nose. The world spun and everything went out of focus.

She knew she almost looked drunk, stumbling over to the family of demons who were nothing but blurs at the time. Gripping the sword in both her hands, she raised it high above her head, aiming for her twin's chest. Surely if she killed the body it inhabited, it would give everything back.

Her back began to hurt from how she was arching it. Blood rushed to her face even though she knew it wouldn't redden her cheeks. She realized she was beginning to grow dizzy from how long she was holding her breath. The tip of the sword started shaking uncontrollably and the bitter taste of blood rushed into her mouth from her bottom lip.

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump. _

She stood there for what seemed like an eternity until she finally sucked in a sharp breath from her nose and swung.

She forced herself not to look.

One of the babies in her arms let out a small giggle.

The sword stopped its death path just inches away from her twin's chest.

It fell limply to her side, sweat drenching her body.

_Why? _Was the only thing she could think as she stumbled back against the wall again. _Even though I was going to kill its mother, it… _

The girl rubbed her face with a sticky hand, which didn't do anything to clear away the tears of perspiration. Her chest heaved as oxygen filled her lungs once again.

_I can't. _

Sliding the door shut again, she licked the blood off her bottom lip and stiffly moved her legs back to the front of the house.

_It has children that will grow to love their mother. It's found love. A husband. _

Her shoes crunched in the gravel and rock until she fell to her knees by the village entrance, sword clattering to the ground as her fingers crushed the dirt by turning into a fist.

_That's already more than I can say. _

She made sure not to get any aftershocks of vomit on her hands or sword.

When she returned to the pink limousine, she didn't give two shits about what Mephisto had to say. But surprisingly, he didn't say a word. He just sat there exactly like he had when she left with that same amused smirk on his face.

She hated it.

The girl turned on her side on the leather seats, away from his face, and curled up into a miserable ball of hate and shame.

When they made it back to the Academy, she somehow managed to drag herself back to the asylum baby dorm and into her bedroom, not facing her principal the whole time.

She collapsed into her bed like a boulder and slept in all her clothes for the next two hours until her alarm went off.

* * *

**A/N: HOLY CRAP WHY AM I SUCH A SLOW UPDATER.  
**

**I'm really sorry for how long it took! This monster of a chapter took a few weeks to plan, write, edit, and upload. I was busy for most of this week, so forgive me if anything seems rushed *coughtheendingcough*. I'll still try my best to post chapters for you guys, so thank you all so much for the continued support! You're all awesome! ^_^ **

**One last thing: If you guys wouldn't mind, could you maybe give some feedback about characterization? Is everyone IC? I keep thinking I'm not portraying Rin correctly... _" And maybe even some comments about my OC? I just want to hear what you guys think of how I'm doing so far.**

**Tell me what you think, R&R, and thanks for reading! **❤


	7. Hush

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except my imagination belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.**

* * *

_Hush_

Her fist slammed on the top of her alarm clock again, having well put up with enough shit for the past several hours.

She was slightly surprised it didn't combust and explode in a million pieces, but she flipped over on her stomach and yanked her blankets further over her hooded head. Her body temperature was high and the stuffiness was hard to breathe in, but she refused to submerge, fighting some sort of battle with herself to test the limits of her stubbornness and so far she was not giving way.

_Why did I even set the damn alarm? _She scolded herself. _It's Sunday. _The girl remembered then that she'd set it on Friday so that she wouldn't sleep in until two in the afternoon, and it went off at eleven. Regardless she was _not _ready to leave her haven of self-deprecation and shame stirred together with an irreplaceable dose of regret.

Her sleeping face flashed in her mind and she attempted to let the mattress swallow her body whole. She would've been happier that way anyway.

_Why didn't I do it? _She asked herself, even though she knew perfectly well of the reason why. That demon was a mother now. It had children who would love it, grow to love it, and a husband. And perhaps she just pitied the husband and kids too much to kill something important to it, but even so she would never admit it. Every time _the _question appeared in her head, she pushed it away, refusing to face it head-on. But there was no avoiding it:

_Would I really kill someone who has love for my sake? My selfishness? My empty wants and needs? _

Then she concluded with an answer:

_I don't know. _

She forced the lump in her throat back down. _And if that freak show of a principal was serious, today's the last day I'll be allowed at the Academy. Dammit… Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! _She bounced up from her lying position to punch her pillow right through the middle again when her head banged against the bunk bed.

Angry white flashed before her not-quite-there eyes and she threw herself back down into the mattress, trying to control herself before she made the whole dorm catch on fire in her rage. Her chest heaved out furious breaths as she willed herself not to explode. _Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. _

_How the hell am I supposed to calm down?! _The devil sitting on her shoulder shrieked. _I lost my only chance and I can't be angry about it?_

At that horrible moment, the door clicked and latched open. She didn't raise her head at the intruder since it was obvious who it would be, but rather cursed herself for forgetting to lock the door last night. She risked getting caught if she'd changed into her pajamas, though.

"Morning."

A pillow slammed right into the door and slid down to the ground with a soft thump. "Whoa!"

"Geez, what the hell was that for?" Rin stormed inside, much to her dismay.

Another fat cushion launched through the air, and he moved his head to the side just in time to dodge the attack. _Leave me alone! _

"Oi! What's gotten into you?"

_Ugh, just go the hell away! _She realized then that she was out of pillows and resorted to curling herself up into a ball of humiliation under the covers, willing him to leave with as much effort as she could muster. What little pride she had left quickly crumbled. _Just go! _

"You're acting weird, you know." He sighed, and she cringed when she felt a bounce of weight on the edge of the mattress. _There you go again, always throwing around that word like it's nothing. You would never know what it's like to be so different and incomplete._

"Yukio told me to check on you 'cause someone broke into the Academy last night or something. The giant gates at the front of the school were unlocked so all the teachers started freaking out." Rin told her balled-up form. "You still seem to have enough energy to go mauling people with pillows, though."

_Don't tempt me._

Her mouth fell slightly ajar under the covers and she somewhat meekly poked her head out, holding down the top of her hood so it wouldn't fall back. Yukio sent him? _Don't tell me this is one of his stupid attempts to get us to get along. More importantly, why is he still in his pajamas? _Dark blue and green plaid, a light blue sweater with a red skull on the front with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Were those slippers? Oh, yup. Red house slippers, not too much on the ridiculous fluffy side. Thank the Lord. Something about Santa just was not right, especially owning his slippers.

"You're fine, right?" He said nonchalantly as he laced his fingers behind his head, ruffling the raven-coloured locks and she suddenly had the urge to tie little pigtails in them or just mess them up. His eyelids fell but rose again to look at her shameful position, not looking pitying in the least. "You promised you wouldn't die before dinner."

She silently scoffed. _'Course I do. Wait. Since when did I agree to that? _

"Well, you can't miss breakfast either!" He grinned. "I bought pancake mix yesterday, so we're totally gonna feast!"

_Pancakes? _The girl sat straight up, nearly having her hood flipped back. _Do we have bananas and Nutella? _

"_Yosh*****,_" He pushed himself off the bed. "I'd better start cooking, then. You better be coming, or you don't get any." An amused smile etched itself onto his features.

Her jaw fell open. _You-! _

Satisfied with his work, he left the bedroom.

As she fell back to the bed with a soundless sigh, she stared at the sunshine once again seeping through the windows.

Why did she feel better?

* * *

_I'll help you._

_Give me your strength._

_I'll return everything._

_I promise._

* * *

"Dad! Dad, look!" Chiho cried, violet eyes sparkling. Stomping up the wooden stairs to her father's study, a little bottle around her neck bounced up and down. Pushing the door open, she twirled in a circle over to his desk where he was filling in some sort of document.

"What is it, Chiho?" He asked his daughter with a warm smile, that kind that made the skin by his eyes crinkle up in the best way possible. The hair on the top of his head was starting to thin out, but that didn't matter. The smile dissolved. "Didn't I tell you not to run up the stairs all the time? They might break and we can't afford to get them repaired if they-"

"Look!" The ten-year-old yanked the black string around her neck, revealing the clear bottle with a four-leaf clover inside. "I finally managed to make a necklace out of this thing. Isn't it great? Now I'll never lose it."

"That's smart of you." Her father chuckled. "You take good care of it, okay? That took a long time to find."

"Of course I will!" She laughed. "I wonder if that clover patch had any more four-leaf ones. We should go again someday."

"I'm sure we will."

A strange smell wafted into her nose, one that she hadn't smelled before.

The pen clattered to the floor and he nearly knocked over his desk standing up. Without a word he grabbed Chiho by the arm and yanked her out of the room.

"Dad, what are you-"

Mom's shriek filled the house.

"_FIRE!_"

* * *

"Takahiro-kun!"

Her body shot awake and she nearly fell out of the tree she had been sleeping in. That voice definitely wasn't Yukio's though. She glanced down to see a certain strawberry-haired boy standing at the foot of her makeshift bed, staring in strange interest that made her fidget.

"What are you doing up there?" He asked with a confused smile. "Couldn't find a place to sleep?"

_That's not it… _She rubbed her sore neck and tried not to appear embarrassed that she'd been woken up. _Wait, this guy is… Shima, right? _

With a shake of her head, she clutched her bag tight and slipped off the branch. That tree was nearly off school grounds. How did he find her, more or less decide to call out to her?

When he opened his mouth, she quickly shook her head again and pointed towards the fountain.

He caught onto the gesture, and they both walked over to the courtyard with her hands in her pockets, making her footsteps a little heavier to give off that image she was going for.

_[How did you find me?] _She handed him the sketchbook, opened up to a new page to hide the obscenities on the previous ones.

Shima looked somewhat surprised at her silence, but answered nonetheless: "Well, Bon said he was going to spend Sunday meditating and Koneko-san said he would help him clean his room. But honestly, who's got time for that? And I was hoping to pick up some cute girls today with them too…" He sighed and kicked his feet against the fountain. "They're way too serious, 'specially Bon. I wish they just knew how to relax sometimes, y'know?"

_Guy's a mouthful, I'll give him that much. _But something about the cheerful, lazy atmosphere around him was difficult to dislike.

"Oh, but I was just wandering around campus lookin' for someone to talk to since all the girls rejected me." He continued disdainfully. "But I don't get it at all! I know they're interested, so there's no point in denying it." Shima leaned back on his hands, still kicking his feet. "But anyway, what were you doing up there?" He gave her a cheerful grin.

Her fingers swished the pen back and forth.

_[Sleeping.]_

The strawberry-head chuckled. "Yeah, I could've guessed that much. What I meant was, did something happen in your dorm or something? Why were you sleeping in a tree?"

_Because trees are comfy. _She retorted childishly.

_[Had a bad dream.] _The rest was fairly self-explanatory.

"About what?" He prompted, angling his head to her. She gripped her pen tight, fingers going deathly white against her already-pale hands. The girl knew she was pushing it, but she couldn't help it. She definitely couldn't fight the inner conflict alone; they were all but stacking up, one problem after another she could never let out.

_[I had a dream I got expelled.] _She tried to keep the sentences as short and to-the-point as possible to reduce the time spent writing.

"Really? What happened?" His brown eyes widened a bit, just as interested as when he found her sleeping.

She gulped and licked her dry lips.

_[Can you wait for me to explain?] _Surely he knew by now why she was asking.

He nodded. "Sure."

After a minute or two of quick, chicken-scratch like writing, she hesitantly pushed the book into his lap and watched his eyes scan over the page.

_[Mephisto made a wager with me. He said if I got back something important, I won. But if I lost, I'd never be able to go to the Academy ever again. I woke up scared shitless that something like that would actually happen. It was noisy in the dorm so I needed to find someplace quieter, hence my sleeping in a tree. Satisfied?] _Her hand ached by the time she finished the message, but it felt so good to get something off her chest, even to someone she barely knew. No- she barely knew anybody at all. But she couldn't keep quiet forever.

"So that's why." Shima mused after reading. "But you shouldn't be scared. After all, no one can ever tell what our Principal's thinking." Another friendly smile appeared. She didn't hate it, surprisingly.

_That's true, but… _She bit her lip nervously. _That's only if it _were _just a dream. _

"But still," He went on. "There's no point in feeling sorry for yourself, yeah? Just do the best you can till the end. At least that way you won't have wasted your time, considering how much it costs to get here." With a wince he scratched his cheek with a finger as if recalling a not-so-pleasant memory.

A little jerk of realization yanked at her body gently.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Damn, did that really just come from me?" The worried look was quickly covered by a sheepish smile. A small wave of unexpected relief covered her; the distressed appearance didn't suit his cheery, laid-back personality.

_Yup. _

Shima leaped off the fountain, tossing her a frantic look over his shoulder as his face began to go blue. "Come on, Takahiro-kun! We need to find some cute babes to hit on before I lose the rest of my dignity!"

She tucked away her sketchbook back into her bag and followed the strawberry-head, though his words never left her brain.

_There's no point in feeling sorry for yourself. _

The smallest of smiles graced her features.

_Thanks, Shima. _

* * *

_Oh my gosh, I remember this part. Stupid Tanaka, don't put salt in the lemonade. _

She rolled over on the top bunk, lying on her stomach now with her precious manga open. Her feet kicked lazily in the air as she happily read the beloved story on the pages. The volume was long worn out with a couple pages wrinkled, but loved it to pieces regardless.

_Oh Sebastian, you're so dreamy. I so wish I could have some of that cake right about now. _A silent sigh escaped her lips.

A series of raps at her door snapped her out of her trance, and she sat up, ripped her hoodie off the side of the bed, and pulled it over her head in a flash just in time to answer the door. Obviously it was the young teacher; Rin would just walk right in again or yell something stupid before threatening to tackle it over.

That polite smile was on his face once again. "I'm sorry to interrupt you at this time." He apologized. "But Sir Pheles has requested to see you. He said I should bring you there, since his office is quite far away from the dorms and a key is most efficient."

She gulped as her legs suddenly felt as if they had been injected with jelly. She mentally shook her head. _Pull it together. Remember what Shima said. I can't regret anything. After this I'll write a letter to Auntie telling her I'm going home and to get the cake ready and-_

"Takahiro-kun?"

She tried hard not to slap herself as she followed.

Yukio reached into a pocket of his coat and pulled out a ring that jingled with more than five golden and silver keys that were all distinctly styled when they approached a random door in the dorm.

"Most of these keys are given only to Exorcists, and are very precious to us. Sir Pheles has set up numerous mazes of amulets and barriers to ward off demons as well." Yukio explained as he searched for the proper key.

_So the one he lifted last night was one he set up himself. _She realized. _Didn't think the clown had it in him._

"You can avoid those traps and visit the world outside of the Academy if you have the keys." He continued. "But for now you should take care of the keys you're given."

_The clown must've used his own key to unlock the gate. _She wedged her fingers into the pockets of her slacks and pulled out her own cram school key. _I see. So this is the only key they're permitting us to use right now. Once I become an Exorcist, getting around should be so much easier. _

She rubbed her temple, immediately regretting the thought. _If I was gonna be one. Now it's over. But is that really so bad? _Her teacher found the correct key and inserted it into the old lock. _I know where it's hiding now. I could go over there anytime I like if I really do get expelled. Although I can't explain to Auntie that I want to go to an old spa town to kill my twin. Well, whatever. I'll figure something out. _A loud clunk echoed in the hallways and he cast a sideways glance at her.

"Follow me."

She did.

Closing the door behind them, they were instantly transported to a long hallway with dark wooden walls and an expensive-looking red carpet that seemed to repel all dirt- even after grinding her shoe into the softness, not a mark was left, almost as if it had swallowed everything except for her foot. Although that wasn't even considered weird anymore, considering where she was. School photos from centuries back were hung up on both walls, stretching all the way down as if they never ended. It was like the cram school hall.

While she was busy drinking in the sight of such an exquisite-looking place, Yukio had already started walking.

"Takahiro-kun? Sir Pheles's office is this way."

After a light jog, she finally caught up with him, making sure her hands never left her pockets.

An almost eerie silence fell between them, and she involuntarily felt herself break into a cold sweat. What if he already knew what she was being called there for? And the fact that he wasn't saying anything, acting so much colder, seemed to make everything worse. She lifted a sticky hand out of her pocket to wipe it hastily against the front of her shoulder bag, though it did little to dry the perspiration.

Embarrassingly, this didn't go unnoticed by Yukio. "Are you nervous?"

When she met his eyes, he looked almost sympathetic.

"Don't worry. Sir Pheles can be unpredictable sometimes, but you can trust him." Despite the words it didn't seem like he trusted him either. She could see the hesitation in his eyes.

But she nodded anyway, not wanting to doubt someone she trusted so much. She would never say so, but she really admired her young teacher. Becoming an Exorcist at such a young age, being so smart and strong; she could only wonder what he would have went through to be so determined to train for the title. He said he started studying when he was seven, and finished his studies two years ago. She then remembered him and Rin fighting a couple days ago and wondered if their dead father had anything to do with it but she knew better than to ask.

"Alright, we're here. Sir Pheles has asked me to stay outside, and I'll take you back to the dorm after you're finished." As they arrived in front of a large pink door, he rolled up his sleeve a bit to inspect his black watch. "It shouldn't take long, so don't worry."

_He said it twice. Am I really that obvious? _She tried not to touch her cheek out of anxiety and resorted to biting the inside of it instead.

With a tentative nod, she sucked in a deep breath and pushed open the door, already feeling vulnerable without her teacher next to her.

The violet-haired principal sat behind a giant desk filled with strangely bright otaku collectible items. She could've _sworn _that was a pink limited-edition Honey-Honey Girls yukata hanging on the wall over there but she got a hold of herself and turned her attention back to the person who was going to expel her from the only chance she probably had. Before she knew it she was already in front of the desk and she released the breath she had been holding, not realizing her legs had actually moved.

"Good evening, Miss. I trust everything's been going well?" He laced his gloved fingers together with a smirk she would rather die seeing than believe it.

_Stop screwing with me. You know perfectly well of all the bullshit you put me through. _She bared her teeth, gnashing them together as her blood began to boil. The girl fought back the rising urge to swipe all the little figurines off the desk.

"It's a shame, you know." The smirk wouldn't leave his face even though she knew he could see her anger. "I was looking forward to how this would all play out. I didn't think your emotions would get the best of you in such a crucial moment, especially in a headstrong young lady such as yourself."

_I wonder if you can qualify me as a lady the second my fist connects with your face. But why is he stalling? If he wanted to get me expelled, couldn't he just say so? _

"I suppose I win the bet." The rim of his hat cast a shadow over his emerald eyes that seemed to glow too brightly with amusement. "It's strange; even I was expecting myself to lose when I looked at your face that night. But surely you know what this means, yes? You are not allowed to attend classes at the Academy any longer. It was great having you- though this wasn't one of my more enjoyable games. You burned out much more quickly than I predicted."

_Of course. Everything's a fucking game to you. _

Keeping her face perfectly blank, she used two fingers to pick up the head of one of the many anime figures and dropped it onto the carpeted floor.

"Do what you like." Mephisto gave a shrug, but never stopping smiling. "After all, you _are _no longer a student here. Oh, and if you break any of my collectibles you will be charged with twenty-five thousand yen in cash. If you change your mind, there is no reason to act so childish."

She struggled to keep down the rising lump in her throat, wanting to cry out of embarrassment and shame. _If only I'd done it when I had the chance. If only I hadn't been such a dumbass and screwed up my only opportunity._ The look on his face did nothing to compensate. His eyes were laughing at her as if she was a bug under his shoe and yet he said nothing. She hated it.

"You're dismissed. You may use the phone in the main office to notify your family that you will be arriving home at the end of this week."

She let her fingernails cut into her palm and her chest tightened as she stiffly turned her back and started walking out of the damned chamber that was Mephisto.

"Ein,"

She spun back around to see the principal tap a ridiculously pink umbrella against his hat once, emitting a clunk as if he were hitting a block of wood.

"Zwei,"

Her mouth automatically began chanting as she rolled up her sleeve.

"Drei!"

_I should probably run, shouldn't I? _

_I should._

But between the span of thinking something and actually doing it, what appeared to be a yellow bird popping out of his hat like a cuckoo clock smacked her in the side of the head.

Needless to say she fell and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Sir Pheles, why would you do something like this?"

Darkness. Not even a sliver of light. Just darkness.

"Because she is a rare case indeed. I believe this is the first time even you have seen the work of such a demon, Okumura-kun."

A faint, thin almond shape appeared in the blackness, and she realized this was supposed to her eyelids opening, which she found strange since she didn't have any. But that was beside the point.

"However, exorcising the demon is an incredibly risky task. There is no Exorcist in this Academy capable of discovering its true intent at the level it's at. The Fatal Verse hasn't yet been clarified, and it's nearly impossible to locate it due to its ability to take the form of whatever it likes."

Her finger twitched on the desk she was lying on. No. They weren't talking about…

"Precisely my point." Mephisto pointed out, and she knew then she wouldn't have to pretend to be unconscious because nobody could tell if her eyes were open or not. Carefully she shifted her gaze to the two instructors, who were talking near the pink door she'd entered. "I do believe it will be entertaining."

"Why did you not inform me of this earlier?" Yukio asked, the harsh tone in his voice returning.

The green-eyed principal simply chuckled as the young teacher made his way over to where she was lying down. Her heart rate had noticeably risen, panic threatening to blow her out of the room right then. But she forced herself to stay still and eavesdrop; after all, she barely knew anything about the demon.

She noticed one other thing.

Her hood was off.

She began to grow light-headed from how long she hadn't been breathing.

She looked up at her teacher's face, which was now hovering above her with worry in the cerulean orbs behind the black frames.

_Who are you? _She hazily wondered, feeling as if she were in a daze. _What do you know? _

Arching his index finger, he slowly brought it down to brush it softly against her cheek. Shivers ran down her spine and she could feel her body temperature rising since her appearance wouldn't allow her a blush.

"I'm sorry." He whispered just loud enough for her to hear. His finger never left her face.

_It's okay. _She felt herself begin to slip away again, her grip on reality loosening. When was the last time someone had touched her so gently, so lovingly?The walls were melting at an alarming pace.

_I don't want to be like this either. _

* * *

**A/N: GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I'm not intending to turn this into a Yukio/OC fic! I just had to include this for plot purposes. xD  
**

**I think this may actually be the fastest I've updated, but of course that means it's a shorter chapter. -.- But I want to thank all of you for the continuous support on this story! I can't believe this fic already has almost 30 follows. ; u ; I also appreciate any feedback on characterization, my OC, and even just a comment saying that you liked it. It's really inspiring, so I really appreciate that too! Feel free to R&R and tell me what you think! **❤

*******A Japanese phrase meaning "Alright then" or "Let's get started". Anything along those lines. xD**


	8. Change of Heart

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except my imagination belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.  
**

* * *

_Change of Heart  
_

_I should kill him._

The only sound was his heavy footsteps and her heart beating in her ears as Yukio piggy-backed her down the hall they had come.

_He knows my secret. _

Slowly the world moved forward, and her arms swung slightly around his neck limply. For a moment she wished she could see his face- see what he thought of everything he had just witnessed the raw truth of.

_My wrist is so close. I could easily stab him in the neck and run. Nobody would know it was me. _

Her hearing was somewhat muffled, as one ear was pressed into his back. The fact that her hood was drawn back up was another factor, but she was glad he had decided to cover her again.

_He doesn't even know I'm awake. _

The walls were starting to grow dizzying to look at, with the exception of faded staff and school photos passing by as they went along. She wondered how long she had been out for.

_It's dark. It's late. There would be no evidence since nobody even saw us leave. The clown wouldn't do anything about it. He's too busy seeing the fun in other people's misfortunes. _

She carefully shifted her gaze below her to watch his feet step forward. Her ears nearly started ringing from the utter silence, but couldn't break it. She was silent- a ghost inside and out. Invisible. And that's how things were always going to be.

_I wonder what Yukio thinks of me now. He knows I'm a girl. He knows my secret. _

_I should kill him. _

But she didn't.

Her teacher gave a small hop to steady himself and her as he reached for the keyring in the pocket of his coat and she tried thinking of any reasons why he was doing all this. Could he not have just shaken her awake and taken her back? It would have been so much easier than carrying her like this. Or maybe it was because now he _knew _she was a girl that he was acting so much gentler? Honestly she wasn't sure what to think about that, and then decided she didn't like it. She wasn't used to being treated so femininely, so gingerly. She was supposed to be acting as a male student! Now this was just getting embarrassing.

Yet a part of her didn't exactly protest. Maybe it was because her body was weary and exhausted, or maybe it was because somewhere deep down, this was what she wanted. To be treated like everyone else would, to not have to pretend to be something she wasn't. And for others to treat her for what she actually was.

Too bad that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

As the loud clunk echoed in the hall and they reappeared in their asylum baby dorm, all of it just seemed like a scattered dream with the pieces loose. More than once she found herself asking if everything she had just gone through had really happened. And yet the person holding her, supporting her, the person she was leaning against was very, very real. The warmth of this person, this person who now knew everything she was trying to hide, was definitely real.

That was when she concluded that she didn't live in a dream.

That's what this person taught her.

Footsteps pounded down the hallway but she didn't lift her head. "Yukio! Where were you? You didn't tell me you were going out-" At the abrupt end of his sentence she guessed that he had noticed her, seemingly unconscious but fully aware of the old yet new surroundings. "What the hell happened?"

She felt movement from a different area now and realized Yukio was shaking his head. "Please take him back to his bedroom. Things turned out differently than I expected."

There was a pause before the older twin said, "Alright. Give him to me."

She hoped that she hadn't flinched or tensed too noticeably. That guy was crazy strong. What if he ripped her legs off?

But as she found herself being lifted from one back to another, the heat radiating from the older was ridiculous. He felt like a living furnace, but in the nicest way possible. It was hard not to melt into him like a stick of butter on a pan. She noticed how Rin held her more firmly than Yukio, not being as careful but just and maybe even more sturdy. Bursts of heat fluttered through to her chest and she felt herself growing drowsy just from it, though the smell of linen, grass, and generic teenage boy deodorant may have been another aspect.

_That's right. _She recognized. _This is the first time I've been so close to a guy. Shame it's with a guy I barely know anything about. Wait, what am I saying? I don't know this guy at all. _

Involuntarily, without permission from her brain, she connected her hands, looping them around his neck. _It's only 'cause I'm tired. And slapping him in the face would be embarrassing as hell. _

Just as she began to press her cheek into his back, he stiffened. "Hey. Are you awake?"

There were two options; pretend to not hear or get off and respond. With a soundless sigh she did a small jump off his back, though she felt like melting again the second her feet met solid ground. She wobbled for a bit; why was she so tired all of a sudden?

"I-I wasn't carrying you because I wanted to!" He protested without missing a beat. His eyes were wide and cheeks reddening just a bit. "Yukio told me to take you to your room, so hurry up!"

She rubbed the side of her head with two fingers where she was sure a bruise was starting to form. _Jesus, the hell was that bird made out of? Bricks? Or did he stuff it with otaku figures? _

"But still," Rin threaded a hand through his dark locks, not meeting her gaze and looking rather interested in the dark clouds shrouding together outside the window. "What the hell happened? I almost thought you weren't gonna show up for dinner. And even though it's Sunday Yukio makes me spend it studying… Stupid mole-face."

_Shit. Homework. _Her lips curled into a displeased look. _I can't answer something as open-ended as that… _

She looked up to the taller boy, who was now looking at her with confusion in his eyes. She just shook her head and kept walking towards room 208.

Her shoulders tensed and moved closer together while her hands were still in the pockets of her slacks. It was so awkward you could nearly feel the tension in the air. Out of habit her feet started moving faster and faster and began chewing on the inside of her cheek again. _Why did I have to choose the room so far away? _

She almost broke out in a dance when they finally arrived, but nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Whipping her head back, she saw that Rin's brow had drawn together in worry, mouth turned into a frown.

"I'm not gonna force it out of you if you don't want to, but…" His gaze fell to the floor before sharply looking up again with a fiercer look in the teal orbs. "But don't leave me out of everything! I just want to understand what's going on!"

_Wha… _Her hand was still reaching for the doorknob, but had stopped in its tracks at the physical contact. Her thoughts wouldn't finish; the violent, nearly burning look from those eyes weren't necessarily out of anger. It was out of desperation, curiosity, perhaps even concern.

So she did what came naturally to her.

She reached up and pinched his cheeks, pulling upward to tug his lips into an awkward swiggle of a smile.

His emotions quickly swung from irritated to shock and then… well, irritated. Rin batted her hands away and rubbed at his cheeks. "Hey, what the hell? That hurt!"

_Oh shit, did that seem girlish? _Hastily she drew her hands back.

"Well, if you're not gonna tell me anything, I guess I've got no choice." He mumbled, threading a hand through his hair again before pointing a determined finger in her face. "Someday I'm getting the truth out of you and Yukio!"

She warded the hand away with a somewhat playful slap and a sly half-smile.

Rin heaved out a sigh and flashed a wry smile, putting a hand on his hip. "Well, good night. I'll see you in class tomorrow, right?"

Normally she would've nodded without a second thought, but she had to think about it for a while this time. Technically she wasn't a student here anymore, but she doubted that would be a legitimate excuse to skip classes. Not that her grades or anything mattered; this would be her last week here.

She nodded.

"Alright then. Night!" With a cheerful wave he made his way down the hall back to his own bedroom.

_There he goes. _She didn't notice that she'd stopped biting the inside of her cheek once he started talking. _How can he be so carefree all the time? Does nothing bother this guy? _Soon the sight of her bedroom that she was growing to like seemed to laugh at her. Yet again another thing that was somewhat decent was going to be taken away from her again.

She collapsed into the bottom bunk like an anchor when she felt something poke uncomfortably into her stomach as she fell into the mattress. Flipping over on her stomach, she fished around in the pocket of her hoodie when her fingers found something small and cold.

_What the…? _Cautiously she brought the object into her vision and opened her fist.

A beautiful golden key sparkled in her palm. An exquisite, delicate-looking design almost resembling lace was the round head of it, and there were no ridges or teeth on the side. In their place was a maze-like design just below the tip. It was breathtaking.

_Why? _Her heart stopped beating for a few seconds.

_Why is the front gate key in my pocket? _

She remembered the lace-like head of the key from last night. Mephisto- he had used this very key to unlock the front gates. How? Did he sneak it into her pocket while she was unconscious? The hand with the key in it began shaking.

_What is the clown trying to tell me? That I'm free to leave whenever I want? That I can just go outside and die? _

Mechanically she swung her legs over the side of the bed, feeling the cold of the floor beneath her feet. The world spun a bit from the rush of fatigue and emotions. Stiffly she reached forward and placed the key on the desk.

_What do you want me to do? _She gritted her teeth as her hands curled into fists.

She slammed her palm onto the desk in rage, rattling several objects on it and nearly knocking the key to the ground.

_What is it that you want me to see? _

* * *

During third block the next day, Tsubaki-sensei took the cram school students to a bridge by the outskirts of the Academy town branching off into the next expanses. Since Fall was starting to take its toll, the weather was a bit chilly and the skies were a dull shade of gray; just like how the girl felt inside.

"Today all of you will be gathering seaweed to help produce anti-demon drugs." The tall teacher explained to the students who were all in gym strip on the bridge. "You are not to go past the floodgate, as it is old and will be replaced next week. Most of the time you will be able to find the seaweed under rocks in the river, so do make sure you scrape up as much as you can!" His finger waved in the air as he spoke.

"Seaweed?" Izumo exclaimed. "Won't it be all slimy and gross? That's disgusting!"

"I'll help you, so it won't be that bad, Izumo-chan." Paku tried to console her.

"Remind me again how this is a mission." Shima muttered to his childhood friends.

"I feel kind of guilty." Shiemi admitted to Rin. "Our shop is running low on a certain kind of medicine, and Exorcists use it a lot. We probably wouldn't be here if we hadn't run out."

"That's not your problem." Rin told her a little more forcefully than he needed to. "'Sides, I'd rather do this than be stuck at the race court back at school."

_Would you really? _She couldn't help but wonder, holding back a shiver when she saw blood-red pupils in her vision.

"In an hour and a half we will return back to the Academy, and you will be allowed ten minutes to change out of your jerseys. Everyone grab a basket and get going! I want at least one full basket from each of you!" Their whiskered teacher instructed.

_Why do I have to do this? _The girl would've grumbled under her breath. _I'm not even a student here anymore, but I still have to do all the dirty work. Uncle never said being a Page would make me a slave of the Academy. _Regardless she kicked off her shoes, socks, and rolled up her pant legs and sleeves as she slung a basket over her shoulders. Her classmates did the same. _I'll just get it over with quick. _

When the students stepped into the water they all either slipped, cringed, or shuddered in some way. In this case the raven-haired boy did all three.

"Oi, what the hell?" He cried. "These rocks are so slippery!"

"Be careful, Izumo-chan." Paku told her best friend, holding onto her elbow as they waded through the murky water.

"I know, I know."

"Is there seaweed on top of the rocks as well?" Konekomaru wondered.

Shima slumped over in defeat. "Kill me now."

Bon was totally unfazed and proceeded to lean down and start flipping over rocks. "You're not gonna get anything done if you don't start it first."

_Bon's nuggets of wisdom, part one. _

Sucking in a breath, she reached her hands into the freezing water and dug her fingers under the bottom of a moderately-sized rock. Sure enough a layer of seaweed lay underneath and no fish were biting at it, thankfully. Eternal fear of piranhas would have to wait another day to activate.

_Good God, that's disgusting. _The slimy seaweed dripped greyish liquid as it dangled from her fingertips. _Shi-! _It ripped due to the weight on the bottom and splashed water all over her pants. _Dammit! That did not go as planned. _Only a small shred of it was left between her fingers and she would have slapped a hand to her face in frustration but thought better of it and fished out the filmy-like kelp that had fallen, tossing it into the basket behind her.

She cringed hearing it slop as it hit the bottom. _And Mr. Whiskers expects us to have one full basket of the stuff by the end of class? Are we in some sort of product crisis? And besides… _She tossed an annoyed glance at her teacher. _If he was that worried about it, would it kill him to get his ass over here and help? Instead of making the students do everything just because we're Pages… we must be at the bottom of the food chain or whatever!_

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she felt a drop of rain touch her hand; it had at least been half an hour and she was pretty confident that she was nowhere near even halfway through the basket. For the past half hour she had been holding her breath since the smell of wet seaweed was beginning to grow intoxicating. Her back was starting to grow sore too.

The others students noticed too. Rin wiped the back of his wrist under his nose. "Man, it's raining already."

"Sensei. What are we going to do?" Bon called up to their teacher, who for some reason already had a purple umbrella ready for action. "The currents may start to grow stronger."

"Not to worry!" He reassured them. "I checked the weather report for today; there will only be a few showers here and there. Nothing that can keep you from gathering seaweed! Keep up the good work, everyone!"

Shiemi sighed. She was over by the side of the river with Rin and then the girl noticed that everyone seemed to be in pairs. Izumo and Paku were together, Shiemi and Rin, and then the Kyoto trio. Her body heated up a little. She didn't think she looked weird, but not blending in either. She was alone and not alone at the same time.

"The rain really wears you down, huh?" The blonde girl said to her friend.

"I've been worn down since the block started, Moriyama-san." Shima joked, to which she returned a smile. Chiho fought back the urge to go over to him and help each other, but she didn't know Bon and Konekomaru well enough to comfortably stride over and start doing so. Besides, he looked… well enough. Yeah.

She mentally shook her head. _Get a hold of yourself. I can't get too close, especially now that it's kinda windy. Just… work with my back to the wind. Yeah. I can do this. _

She picked out a bit of seaweed that had gotten stuck under her fingernail. _Yup. I can totally do this. _After a while the sound of rushing water and rain was all she could hear, and admittedly, she didn't hate it. It just would've been more peaceful if it weren't for the fact that she was scooping up seaweed from rocks.

When a cell phone started ringing she didn't even look. "Yes, it's me. What?! Right now? Oh, you are such a reckless kitty. Yes, yes, of course. I'll be right there."

"Oi, don't tell me he's…" Rin eyed him in shock.

"Again?" Izumo groaned.

"He's leaving us alone in a river?" Paku asked. "Is that allowed?"

Bon muttered some obscenity under his breath which was much expected.

_Well, think about it. If your cat didn't use the litter box you'd be pretty damn worried yourself. _

"Listen up, everyone!" Tsubaki-sensei pointed a finger in the air again. "Keep working hard! Once you're done, leave your baskets on the bridge and wait under the trees until I get back! Get it? Understood?"

"_I'm coming, my kitty!_"

"That kitty thing again…" Shima stared at the growing cloud of dust their teacher was kicking up as he sprinted right out of there.

"And the rain isn't getting any lighter either." Konekomaru noted, feeling for a few drops on his hands. "We should hurry."

_I would never trust a weather report coming from Mr. Whiskers either._

Dipping her hands into the chilly current she flipped over another rock, carefully scraping off the layer of kelp and throwing it behind her. _I should be nearly done by now… _

The next time she looked up Bon was taking off the basket and putting it back on the bridge. "Shima, Konekomaru, hurry up! Come on, it's not that hard." And with that, the delinquent-looking boy ran to take shelter from the rain under the trees.

"Bon, you're so mean!" Shima wailed. "I'm doing the best I can!"

"I'm almost done too!" The shorter boy called.

"Damn, I gotta pick up the pace!" She couldn't help but gawk at her roommate, who was flipping over a boulder the size of a TV. Thankfully her classmates did the same, so the feeling was mutual.

* * *

Another twenty minutes later, the majority of the students were leaning back against trees waiting for their teacher's return. The only people who were still in the rain were Shima and Shiemi, and it was coming down pretty hard now.

"Shiemi, I'll come down and help you." Rin offered from the tree she sat under.

"No, it's fine!" The sweet blonde ripped a bit of seaweed from under a rock. "I can do this myself!"

"Shima, just get it over with and you won't be drenched!" Bon yelled.

"It's difficult!" The strawberry-head whined before falling backwards into the currents that were rapidly getting stronger.

"Idiot." Izumo scoffed. "It's not even that hard."

"Izumo-chan." Paku gently chided her.

_I'm worried. _Her lips turned into a frown. _That floodgate looks like it'll snap any minute now. _

Shima started wading deeper into the water, closer to the wooden barricade. His whole lower half was submerged.

"Shima-san, what are you doing?" Konekomaru asked in alarm. "It's not safe there!"

"I'll be fine, don't worry!" The boy grinned. "We haven't checked over here, so there's bound to be a lot of seaweed we haven't picked up yet! Plus I'm a great swimmer, Koneko-san!"

_That isn't the problem, _Her mind whirled, alarms going off in her head. _If that thing floods, you'll get swept away! _She would've yelled that and even opened her mouth, but there was no way she could warn him from where she was. Her back left the sturdy tree, leaning forward intently.

_Should I go in? _She racked her brain. _Should I just go and grab him? But that'd be weird all of a sudden! I mean… Well, that's just… Ugh, why am I so damn indecisive? Yeah, the guy's cheered me up, and he's pretty cute and nice to me, but is that really a valid reason to jump in and save his life? If something happens I won't be able to save myself, plus I can't go into the water… With the rate it's flowing at, it could easily rip my hood off, and maybe even my wig…_

A higher-pitched sound suddenly struck her ears, and she whipped her head towards it. The rain was coming down hard now, and the water on the other side of the floodgate was starting to grow wilder by the minute. The fence rattled as a thin stream of water flowed into their side of the river.

_Shit! That thing's not gonna hold! _

"Shima-san, come back!" Konekomaru cried.

"Shiemi! Get out of there!" Rin yelled, looking close to jumping in himself.

Brown eyes blinked before nodding quickly; honestly the girl didn't have the heart to pay attention to the blonde. She was too busy thinking of how to stop it from flooding and sweeping both of them away. The second they got caught in the current, there was no way they could chase them before they drowned or fell off a cliff.

Suddenly a strangled scream emanated from someone and she angled her vision to Shima, who looked like he had tripped.

"Shima!" Bon shouted.

"I-I'm okay!" He failed to reassure his friends and the girl. "My foot just got caught-" The trainee couldn't finish his sentence before his head disappeared from a rush of water crashing right into it.

Her heart plummeted all the way to her stomach as she shot up from her sitting position.

_The trees, _A voice in her head shrieked. _If you can get a tree into the water, he can keep his head above it. _

Ten seconds later she had her sword in her hand, and all the sounds in the background were muffled and blocked out. The only thing that was playing in her ears was the sound of the rain.

Her legs moved mindlessly towards a tree closest to the side of the river Shima was nearly drowning in. Flashes of pink bobbed up and down out of the currents and her heart jackhammered all over her rib cage.

Breathing in sharply, she just had to think of what she wanted.

A foreign feeling overcame her senses and the world went white before her eyes. When everything faded and she came back to reality, the tree had been sliced perfectly right through the middle as she stood on the other side of where she had once been. Hearing it start to fall over and creak, she circled to the opposite side and gave it a good kick, sending it flying into the river. She shielded her eyes from the sprays of mist the impact sent and hesitantly peered into the water, waiting for a hand to emerge and grab onto the bark.

Maybe her mind was just calculating time incorrectly, but it seemed like far too long without any kind of reaction. Discarding all her previous thoughts, she threw her sword into the grass and dove in.

Being knee-deep in the water was a totally different thing than actually being engulfed head to toe in it. Streams of bubbles escaped parted lips as the water's icy fingers wrapped all around her body and sent shivers down her spine. Her movements were sluggish and slow as she willed her feet not to trip over the rocks that had all been overturned.

_Shima, _A hazy voice in her head echoed. _Where's Shima? _

A stream of pink appeared in the corner of her eye and she cut her arms through the water, kicking her way over to where she spotted him. A wave of relief coated with panic came over her when she saw him limply lying on the river's bottom. She looked further down to see that the pant leg of his jersey had gotten caught on a piece of glass under a boulder.

She began to grow light-headed from how long she had gone without breathing. Her lungs felt like they were going to implode. Blindly reaching downward she somehow found the trapped pant leg and wrapped her fingers around it before pulling as hard as she could, releasing the boy from its grasp, though a bit of fabric was still stuck to the glass. Before he could continue to drift away, she looped an arm around the unconscious student, pulling him close to her. Kicking off the rocks, her head emerged from the surface and attempted to choke up all the water that had gone up her nose, lungs burning.

Reaching a hand up, she threw an arm over the tree and pulled upwards, getting half her body out of the water while being careful as to not let Shima go under again. That was when it hit her that not only had she just saved somebody's life, her wig was still on. In a flash the arm on the tree reached up, pulled the hood back down, and returned to its safe spot as she heaved out breaths.

"Takahiro-kun! Shima-san!"

Oh. Her hearing had returned.

"Takahiro! Is he okay?" Bon was nearly in the water himself. She responded with a nod while spitting out the water that threatened to flood into her mouth. "Here, pass him to me." Vigilantly she kicked her way over and hoisted the pink-haired boy up by his waist as much as she could. Suguro took him by the arms and pulled him up to shore while Konekomaru helped her out of the river.

"Are you alright?" The shorter boy asked. "Thank you so much for saving Shima-san."

She would have nodded if it weren't for the fact that she was shivering so hard every inch of her body had goosebumps. She curled her legs under her and fell over on her side while her hands gripped at her arms. Her body rattled furiously and for a moment she wondered if she was going to die from frostbite.

"T-Takahiro-kun?"

That was the last thing she heard before she passed out.

* * *

Her time to be unconscious didn't last very long, since her senses snapped awake the second she felt two hands pressing where they _seriously_ shouldn't have been. Just because she was pretending to be a guy did _not_ mean it was okay for someone's hands to be there!

Almond-shaped slits appeared in her vision before opening fully, a window to the light. When everything stopped spinning, she winced and looked up to see teal hues _much _closer than necessary and held the curiosity of a cat.

_Holy shit-!_

She bounced straight up, nearly crashing into his forehead if he hadn't moved out of the way in time. _Huh? _She turned her face up to the sky to find it beautifully azure and clear, save a few clouds drifting by here and there. _The rain stopped… and I don't feel like I was dumped in a freezer either. _

"He's alive!" Rin announced to everyone. "That's a relief." Why was everybody surrounding her? She fidgeted a bit from where she sat in the grass. Did anybody see? Apparently not, because nearly all the students were beaming, except for Izumo, who just muttered something along the lines of 'idiot' and turned away.

A pale hand reached up to press against her head, which was still somewhat pounding. _What happened to me? I'm not dead… _

"Takahiro-kun!" Shima yelled, practically flying over to tackle her in a totally unexpected hug and knocking the wind out of her as they nearly fell backwards. "Good Lord, thank you, Takahiro-kun! You saved my life!" He wasn't crying, was he? Or at least sobbing dramatically, but she couldn't deny how relieved she was to see that he was still breathing.

Though her neck felt like it would crush under the pressure of his arms around them, she couldn't exactly bring herself to shove him off and call him a moron in her head. She could feel that he was still slightly damp from the rain and having nearly drowned in a river, but he was warm from the afternoon sunlight as well. It was a strangely mellow feeling. Besides, when was the last time she had received a hug from a guy that wasn't her gruff, scruffy uncle?

Awkwardly she brought one hand up to pat the surprisingly soft tufts of strawberry-dyed hair and placed the other on his shoulder, clumsily unsure of what to do with it. _Uh… okay… Honestly I was pretty damn stupid myself, but… _The only sound that she could hear for the next minute was Shima sobbing to show his appreciation, but in between she felt a little corner of her heart soften. _I was right to save this guy. _

"Look, I don't care what Shima thinks of you or anything. I don't like you, and I sure as hell don't trust you." Bon bluntly told her.

_Damn, he's got a crease between his eyes from the amount of frowning he does. _

"But if it hadn't been for you, he would've drowned to death by now." The punk admitted, eyes meeting the floor. "So… thank you." He gave a bow to show gratitude and she nearly fell backwards again.

"Thank you so much for saving Shima-san!" Konekomaru said again, repeating the gesture.

_Wha… but I just… how does nobody see how stupid I am to have done that? Isn't anyone gonna tell me I was wrong? _She was truly dumbfounded as to why they were thanking her. She hadn't done anything to win them over, right? She just… saved their friend, who she felt was quickly becoming hers due to the duration of his vice-like embrace.

While she waved a hand side to side to assure them it was fine, a fist came down on her head, causing her to nearly headbutt Shima.

Predictably it was Rin. "Dumbass! This is the second time you've nearly gotten yourself killed in P.E. class! Don't you learn anything? How stubborn can you be?"

Before she could make herself angry for being scolded by a guy like him, she noticed a shred of seaweed near his collarbone. _Says the guy who jumped in to save a certain blondie. _

"Rin, don't say things like that! Takahiro-kun was so brave!" Shiemi came to her defense with a wisp of kelp in her hair.

The raven drew back, immediately stung at the harshness of her tone when she was usually so soft-spoken. "Uh… well, that's…"

Paku giggled.

The girl took a good look around her. One boy with pink hair choking her in a hug, his two friends thanking her for saving his life. One blonde defending her, one roommate apologizing for yelling. One tight-lipped, hard-headed girl with her best friend and one short boy with a bunny puppet standing off to the side. And finally, one girl crossdressing as a boy and was missing a face and voice as she sat in the sunlight by a river that had nearly killed her.

Yup.

That was definitely a perfect recipe for a weird day.

* * *

**A/N: Yay, another update! I'm sorry that this one took a while. Believe it or not, it takes some time to think of what happens in each chapter, and even longer to get it down on Microsoft Word. But I'll try my best to put up chapters as frequently *coughrandomlycough* as I can! As always, thank you all for the continuous support on this story! Can't believe we're almost at 30 + follows and reviews! (My OCD is a bit irritated at the nines not being zeros though. xD)  
**

**Also, I've posted a character profile for Kyohei that goes into depth a bit more on my profile. Check it out if you want! I've had the personality traits in my head for a while now, and I just wanted to get them all out. x3**

**Please R&R, and thanks for reading! **❤


	9. Beginning of the End

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Blue Exorcist. Everything except my imagination and OC belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.**

* * *

_Beginning of the End_

One day.

That was how much time she had left before she would be expelled from the Academy forever, and lose her only chance. She hadn't really given much thought about how disappointed her aunt and uncle would be of her when she arrived back at their home. They assumed that she had done something awful, which perhaps was true; but she didn't see it that way. She had a chance to get back what she had come here for, and she blew it. And that was a plausible reason for the principal to send her home?

That Thursday was spent going to her last day of class, packing her things, and pacing around her room until she almost burnt holes in the floor. Naturally she hadn't told the twins, not even Shima, who had declared himself her friend since she had saved him on Monday and tried rubbing his tear-stained cheek all over her face. Her plan was to just disappear. She was invisible. Nobody would notice if she left, and even if they did, everyone knows how to move on. She hadn't made that big of an impact in their lives anyway.

_No one would miss me. _

Dressed in her usual gray hoodie which she had cleaned the frog spit off of, she couldn't believe that barely a week till a month had gone by and she was already going home. She had been upset at first, but still clung onto a small glimmer of hope that it wasn't over yet. Her gaze landed on the front gate key, which she still hadn't moved from its spot on her now-clean desk. She knew where that thing was hiding. Even if she couldn't become an Exorcist, getting it back should be easy enough.

Right?

Carefully she slipped the little golden key into her hoodie pocket and left the room, heading towards the kitchen area where a small plate of cookies waited for her on her side of the table where she ate her meals with the twins. Not only that, but a cup of blueberry tea sat on a saucer next to the plate. When did those get there?

When she reached the table, she picked up one of the square sandwich cookies. A thick layer of light yellow cream was in between, and the edges were frilled like a biscuit. It was so… _cute_. Who made these? And they were still warm, too.

_Is this all for me? Did Rin? _She wondered when she heard a clang in the kitchen. Turning her head, she realized she didn't even have to look to know.

Flicking on the light, she stepped inside to see the principal's purple familiar scurrying to catch the bowl that had just fallen. A warm smile etched itself onto her features as she bent down to place it back on the counter for him.

_Hi, Ukobach. _

* * *

_It's lemon cream. _

She was using one hand to hold the sandwich cookie in two fingers and the other to absently swirl a steel ladle over Ukobach's head as he chased after the pastry inside in little circles. For a minute she stared at the sweet filling, and then at the tiny cook. _How did you know I love lemon cream? _As a thank-you she lowered the ladle to the table, allowing his thick fingers to grasp the cookie from the bowl of it.

As he nibbled on the treat, they ate side by side in silence for a while as she put the ladle down and sipped the blueberry tea. This was probably Yukio's favorite.

At the thought of her young teacher another pang of guilt struck her heart. Not only would she have to break the promise of helping him look after Rin, she would never get to apologize for hurting him on the first night- though she wasn't planning to anyway. The whole point of agreeing to take care of Rin was to clear her name, and still she had no idea what Yukio thought of her. Or maybe it was the other way around? Maybe she was only going along with what she promised to redeem herself in her own eyes.

She put the teacup back down on the saucer with a clink, suddenly not feeling very hungry anymore.

_I'm sorry, Yukio. I couldn't keep my promise. _

The notion didn't go unnoticed by the stove spirit, who looked up at her with a concerned frown as if to say, _why did you stop? My tea's perfect, isn't it? _

She shook her head and smiled again, which was rare for her. _That's not it. It's great. _She nonchalantly looped her finger back around the ear of the cup before uncurling it again with a hushed sigh escaping her parted lips. _I just wish you could talk to me. Things around here would be a lot more fun. _She was about to lift the cup to her mouth again when she heard a voice.

"What's this?"

Her head turned to the noise to see Rin, who was still in his uniform, kneeling down in front of something before he picked it up.

"A clover?"

A stab of pain shot through her leg from banging it on the table. The next thing that struck her ears was the distinctive sound of porcelain shattering all over the floor and something hot splashing onto her shoe.

She remembered crashing into something very, very warm and very, very hard before tumbling into a messed-up heap of arms and legs on the floor.

_Oh, for fuck's sake… _She mentally grumbled and looked up to meet a pair of very confused eyes.

She took a couple seconds to evaluate the current situation. Nothing seemed to be broken- at least it didn't feel like it. But the fact that she had landed right between his legs and her chest was nearly _on him _didn't help the situation by much. Something tickled her hands and it took a millisecond to realize it was his hair. Since when had her hands ended up there? Carefully she pushed upward, lifting her head from his chest to meet his eyes properly.

_Well. This is awkward. _Despite the sarcastic remark she knew her body was quickly heating along with her thought process deteriorating at an alarming rate. Words built up in her throat and slid all the way back down into her stomach in a sad pile of mush.

The raven looked completely unaffected by the tackle, and simply stared up at her with a dumbfounded look on his face, mouth hanging open as one of his arms still held the three-leaf clover in a bottle.

"K-Kyohei?" He blinked, utterly bewildered. "What're you doing?" Rin spoke cautiously, as if he were treading on dangerous ground.

_Wish I knew myself. _Making sure not to kick him in any unwanted places, she lifted herself up and off him, but not before snatching the precious bottle from his hand first and jamming it back into her pocket. _Jeez, don't go and steal things. Must've rolled out of my pocket or something. _

Rin got his back off the ground and stayed in a cross-legged position on the floor, pointing at the bottle. "Oh, so that was yours?" His brow furrowed. "Aren't they only lucky if they have four leaves?"

She shook her head angrily. _Three leaves can be lucky too! _

He reached up a hand to brush himself off. "Sorry. I wasn't planning on taking it."

_You better not have been or there would be hell to pay. _

A furious screech came from the kitchen and they both snapped their heads to the sound. An enraged Ukobach had a cloth in his hand as he cleaned up the remnants of the spilled tea off the floor.

"Whoa," He breathed. "What happened?"

Without so much as a word she rushed into the kitchen to grab a dustpan and broom from the kitchen and started sweeping up the bits of broken porcelain.

"Hey, did you…?"

She nodded.

When he reached for a large piece she batted his hands away. _Idiot. You'll cut yourself. _

"Oh… right." And with that he left to go find another cloth.

In less than a minute the trio was on their hands and knees cleaning up the mess she had made, and a sudden realization struck her and stopped her hand from moving the brush and her to nearly topple backwards on her heels.

_This is no different from any other time._

Rin saving her from the Leaper, Yukio bandaging her wounds. Both of them taking her back to her room, making her meals, trying to open up to her, acting as if their conversations were being spoken with someone just like them.

_And all I ever do is run away. I keep thinking everything will be better if I do it myself. _

_But is that really the case? _

Rin looked up at her. "Hey, what's wrong?" How could he look so cheerful?

Her head seemed to shake itself, and continued brushing.

_I don't want…_

Yukio passed by the kitchen area and gave her a smile, but Rin couldn't see it as he left the dorm, probably to get supplies or maybe plan for a new lesson she would never get to take part in again.

_To be the person who keeps running._

The worst part of it all probably had to be leaving without ever apologizing for all the trouble she had put them through. To disappear without ever saying goodbye.

_What am I saying?_

_People don't say goodbyes to burdens. _

The absolute worst part of it all probably had to be that it was too late to make it up to them. But was it really for their sake that she wanted to forgive herself? Or did she just want to forgive herself and not have to bear with the guilt?

Her teeth gnashed together. _If lying to everyone and running is the only thing I'm doing, the guilt is just something I'm gonna have to live with. _

_Everything started from a lie in the first place. _

When she snuck a glance at Rin, she was hardly surprised to see his eyes fixed on her too.

He just grinned again before straightening his face. "You didn't burn yourself, right?"

She shook her head almost robotically but found she couldn't move. All the guilt from the past month began to pile up inside her and the fact that he was so concerned made everything worse.

Angry white flashed before her eyes as her arm moved and flung the brush so hard it crashed through the window, spraying bits of glass in the hallway.

"Kyohei? What's wrong with you?" Rin's eyes were wide with shock. "Oi!"

Her chest heaved out raged breaths, barely managing to keep her legs intact. Nails threatening to pierce her palm open, she stumbled out of the kitchen, trying to ignore Rin's protests as much as possible.

_Stop being so nice to me. All I can do is keep owing you things I can't ever pay back. _

* * *

Not so surprisingly, a series of knocks rapped on her locked door twenty minutes later.

"Kyohei. I know you can hear me."

She refused to submerge from the blankets she had unpacked again and wrapped herself in like a cocoon. All the lights were off, and the cloudy grey skies reflected little light into the room.

"Yukio's gonna be worried about you, you know."

_What do I care? I'm only spending one more day here and I'm gone. _

"What's with you these days?" He went on, sounding frustrated. "You keep breaking stuff and acting weird and zoning out in class. Could you at least tell me what's going on? Something _is _bothering you, right?"

Slowly her hand reached for the shoulder bag at the edge of the bed. Thirty seconds later, a sheet of sketchbook paper slipped under the door.

_[Go away.] _

"I'm not moving." He said stubbornly, albeit a bit more forcefully. "Not until you just tell me what's gotten you so… mad."

_It's more than being mad. I'm having a mental battle with myself. _She curled up in a miserable ball on the floor in front of the door, never leaving the warmth of the blankets.

_[I'm sorry.] _Another paper slid under the door and into the open light outside.

"Sorry?" Rin asked, confused. "For what? Well, you could be apologizing for breaking that window with a brush. But other than that, for what? You don't sound half as stubborn as you usually are."

_As I usually am? _She let that sink in for a couple seconds. _You don't know anything about… _The thought wouldn't finish. No, he did know some things about her. He knew she hated carrots because she always picked them out of the fried rice like a child but loved pancakes. He knew she collected weird little things, like keychains or fluffy dice because they were going out shopping one day and she pointed at a beaded lion charm and he asked if she wanted to buy it. He knew she loved to play video games, but would never let him have a turn. He knew she had excessive anger issues- though that was apparent from the first day they met.

_[For being a dumbass.] _Crap, she was running out of pages now. What a waste. From under the door she could see his fingers pick up the paper.

She was met with a light laugh from the other side of the door, which surprised her. "What's that mean? You've always been a dumbass. Will that ever change?"

Her mind wondered if she should be angry or actually take that into consideration. But he kept talking before she could decide.

"I know you've only been here a month." His tone had changed; more sober, more serious than she was used to. "Things are still kind of screwed up for me too. But… to me, you're a friend."

Her breathing must have stopped for a cumulative total of thirty seconds. _A friend? Me? _

"Sure, you're stupid and run into things head first all the time, but I know your heart's in the right place. You saved Shima, right? So you're definitely not a bad person, even if you won't eat carrots."

_You can't judge me just from that… Even I don't know what I was thinking. _She hugged her knees tighter into her chest, though she couldn't explain the foreign feeling thudding in her chest. Guilt? Confusion? Happiness?

"I get it if you don't want to talk to me 'cause I'm annoying or whatever. But I trust you, and, well… if something's wrong you can tell me."

_How can I? _She gritted her teeth again, feeling so many words and emotions start to clog up her throat. Before she knew it a lump began to rise and she failed to fight it down. A silent sob racked her body before she bit down on her trembling lip. _You wouldn't get it. So much is wrong and I can't say what it is. _

"I just want to understand you!"

After a few minutes of continued silence she heard his retreating footsteps disappear down the hall. Through it she never left her curled-up spot on the floor.

_I just want to understand me, too. _

* * *

That night, she felt dead. Completely hollow. As suddenly as those feelings had built up, it was over. They all melted away, leaving her feeling as emotional as an empty shell. The needless desire sucked in every other thought like a black hole.

Despite the vacant thoughts, she lay on her side in the near-empty room, shivering. Pitch black clouds shrouded around the moon, not letting a single sliver of light into the window. She felt colder than she ever had in her whole life, and it wasn't due to the fact that the old dorm had no working heaters. Emotions made people feel warm, or at least something; and now that they had all drained away, there was nothing left to feel except a sharp hunger of greed that made her body break into a cold sweat.

_I don't want this. _She told herself. _I don't want to always be like this, not able to do anything, or coming so close and then running away. I don't want to have wasted my time here like Shima said I shouldn't. _

_One more time…_

_I'll make it worth my time. _

Packing her blanket back into the box in the closet, she slung her bag over her shoulder and snuck out of the room. It was definitely past midnight; possibly one to two in the morning. The halls looked more terrifying than they ever had, even more so without any light at all. Though her eyes had long adjusted to the darkness, she traced her fingertips along the wall and shone the pale blue light from her sealing tattoo to make sure she didn't fall.

She nearly flinched at the cold of the doorknob meeting her palm. But she held it tight as she turned it, entering room 602 as quietly as she dared.

As usual Rin was snoring loudly, Yukio breathing softly as he lay on his side. Without making as much as a creak on the wooden floors, she crossed over to Rin's side of the room.

For a while she stood, looking at him carefully while thinking things he would never hear. _I would be lying if I said you never made me feel better. I'd also be lying if I said you weren't a dumbass. You are a total dumbass to the max. But still… Thank you, Rin. And I'm sorry for attacking you in the bathroom on the first night. I really am. _When he seemed still enough, she curled a finger around a spike of navy blue hair, taking in the surprisingly soft feel of it before unwinding it. She'd finally done it- touched the hair he was always running his hands through, the hair she remembered wanting to mess up. This would have to do.

She went over to Yukio next. _You're always so kind to me even though I'm doing nothing but being a pain in the ass. Thank you for everything, Yukio. I want to leave here without any regrets, and you've taught me a lot. I'm truly sorry I can't stay here and help you fulfill my promise. More than that, I'm sorry that I attacked you on the first night with my sword. _She shocked herself when she felt her fingers touch the top of his hand gently in silent gratitude.

After saying her apologies and thanks, she slipped out of the dorm like a ghost.

Her feet carried her across campus as if they had wings. Ignoring the bitter cold of night, she pulled the gate key out of her pocket and inserted it into the small lock of the main gates. Shards of the magic circle shattered and flew around her and the gate hinged open.

Sucking in a breath that stung her throat, she pushed her way out and into the world outside.

Though she had no idea a certain violet-haired man was watching her leave with an amused smirk stretching across his face, looking out from his office window.

_Dammit… Where am I? _

The hard truth struck her; she had been alone following a road for ten minutes and she was already lost. She remembered going through a tunnel the last time Mephisto had driven her to Hosenka; but where was it?

Barely any cars passed by at this time despite how busy the town was during the day. On the bridge they had driven down last time, she took a couple seconds to look out at the town. Though the night was sullen and cold, the Academy sparkled with amber lights and warmth. She hated to admit it, but she had gotten used to seeing the sights. Somewhere deep inside she was ready to call this place her home; at least until she learned she was getting expelled. At least it wasn't completely black here, though. The street lights did guide her quite well, though none of the signs read 'tunnel'.

She shook herself out of her trance, hugging her hoodie as close to her as she could. _Get a hold of yourself. Keep going straight and see what you can find. _

The only sound in her ears for a while was the gusting of the wind, the whoosh of distant cars on roads below the bridge, and her own thoughts along with her thudding heart.

_What if I screw up? _A tiny voice in the back of her brain urged. _What if something goes wrong and I mess everything up again? _

It was tiny, though- the hollow hole inside of her had been filled somewhat with determination and perhaps even faith in herself. The voice did nothing but chip away a bit of her confidence. With every step she took, a bigger voice boldly spoke: _You won't waste your time here again. Make everything worth it. Get what you came here for. _

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw a sign that said 'tunnel'. In fact, she was so excited that she was going the right way that she didn't even bother reading the rest of the sign. She dashed on ahead into the amber cavern, and she was only halfway through it when she heard heavier footsteps that weren't aligned with her own.

Her sword was in her hand in moments, split in half through the middle to form into sharp daggers in both her palms as she was about to turn around. _Who's there? _

Her chest tightened and her heart skipped a beat hearing an unmistakable click at the back of her head.

"May I ask where you're going, Takahiro-kun?"

With trembling legs, she stiffly turned herself around to see Yukio in his Exorcist uniform ready to shoot. His aqua eyes had hardened in the dim light, all the kindness she had felt from him melted into a puddle of shock and confusion. How was he awake at two in the morning? More importantly, how long had he been there?

She didn't meet his gaze, accepting her fate for a moment. Her body burned with embarrassment and shame and she found herself barely able to stand. Why? Why was Yukio pointing a gun at her?

"There's no point in running." The brunette continued. "Sir Pheles made several late night emergency calls to multiple Exorcist teachers with strict orders to find you. The rest of the staff should be arriving shortly."

_The clown-! _She didn't even need to finish. So this was the master plan all along? Tempt her to leave whenever she wanted to this week, and then sick all the teachers on her to get her in trouble? Her blood began to boil at a dangerously high temperature.

But didn't that mean she still had a chance? Reckless ideas flew through her head. The teachers weren't here _yet_. If she could just get away from Yukio… Even if she got in trouble, there was no point in trying. She was leaving in the afternoon anyway.

Uttering another apology (or five more), she conjoined her daggers into a full sword, leaping through the air with the pommel poised, ready to hit.

Everything seemed to happen at once.

She could've sworn she went deaf for a couple seconds from how deafeningly loud the gunshot echoed in the tunnel. Her mouth opened, releasing a silent shriek as the bullet pierced through the skin of her right shoulder. The sword slipped out of her hands, clattering onto the cement below. As she scraped her exposed skin on the pavement, her hand clutched her shoulder which was exploding with unbearable pain and came away soaked in crimson.

The world spun as her body rattled and struggled to suck in and heave out as many ragged breaths as she could. At that point her hood had fallen off but her hand couldn't leave the wound that was quickly soaking her hoodie through with blood. Strands of the wig fell in front of her eyes as her bare cheek pressed against the rough ground, fingernails cutting into the back of her shoulder.

Black boots came into her field of vision from where she lay helplessly on the ground like a fish on dry land.

"Yes. I've found him. We will be arriving to the Academy shortly."

She wondered for a minute if she would die drowning in a pool of her own blood. She could feel the warm liquid beginning to spread around her, soaking her clothes and skin.

Thundering footsteps thumped all around her, every noise either slowed or so much louder since her ear was pushed on the cement and sounded like an earthquake. Without looking she knew it was the rest of the teachers, put on emergency call.

Her legs curled as she rolled over, body starting to convulse and jerk from the shocks of pain. Her hand was sticky and felt disgusting. When she looked up at her young teacher she wanted to barf. His eyes were sharp as steel, unforgiving, as if he were staring at a maggot crawling over a corpse.

She hazily wondered if she looked that revolting in his eyes, in everyone's eyes. Their gazes made her want to crawl into a hole and die.

She tried to; she reached forward and dug her scraped, bloody fingers into the pavement to pull herself along but all she could do was jerk herself forward by barely an inch and her head banged back onto the ground as red began to fill her vision.

There was only one thing she remembered thinking before the black boots thumped all around her and she spiraled into blackness:

_How could you?_

* * *

**A/N: Holy crap, I'm sorry that this is so late x_x I wasn't exactly motivated for a couple days so this took a while to think of and get down on Word! Our internet was out for most of today, so I would have uploaded this earlier... Sorry about that! (I really need to stop making Chiho faint in random places)****As always, thank you all for the continuous support on this story! Reviews would be much appreciated!  
**

**Thanks for reading! (butseriouslyillupdatefasternexttime) **


	10. Closer

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ao no Exorcist. Everything except my imagination and OC belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners. **

* * *

_Closer_

I'm dreaming.

I know this because my body feels unnaturally light, almost like I'm floating above endless screens of my memories. Because there's no way there's a window into all of my memories in reality, right? So I must be dreaming.

When I close my eyes, I can feel it; warm afternoon sunlight on my cheeks and eyelids. For the time being, the pain I once felt is replaced with a sense of calm and serenity.

I look down. I'm flying above a lake, a perfectly clear lake that reflects movie-like windows of everything I remember. I see it all, from me and my cousin when we were trying to befriend squirrels, the next panel showing me arriving at the Academy from the clown's ridiculously pink limousine.

"I know it's a dream," I whisper to nobody but me. "But don't wake me up."

The peacefulness I feel immediately dissolves when I re-watch the fire that stole nearly everything from me. I don't want to, but my body falls closer to the water, taunting me as my younger, nearly destroyed form reaches out to the demon that took my life away in the blink of an eye.

Somehow I lose the ability to speak all over again, and panic overtakes me, desperate to change the past. I slap my palm into the water angrily in an attempt to dispel the ugly picture, but all I can do is cause a few ripples in the endless lake before it resumes playing. I'm no longer floating- now I'm on all fours, but not falling through the surface.

I can do nothing but stare helplessly as the face I haven't seen in years twists and distort and my higher-pitched scream rips out of my younger self as the flames roar in the background. My features begin to melt away, starting with my left eye, then the right. And finally the light brown locks rip away, leaving me as the monster I am; unable to neither speak nor show a smile. I realize then that I am watching from the butterfly's point of view, which makes it all the more horrifying, since I am watching my own visage turn to nothingness before my eyes. Did I really look that disgusting?

Through it all I keep a hand clamped over my mouth, desperately fighting back the vomit that I'm sure will come up. I can definitely taste the bile rising as I watch myself fall unconscious in front of my burning house.

The angle changes to a third-person view, where I can see everything as an unwanted spectator. The butterfly has changed its form to a human woman who looks about the same age as I am now. Wearing a human skin with my face on it, she looks down at my fainted state with a devilish grin that I am sure I would never be able to twist my lips into. Thankfully she is wearing something, though it is nothing but a plain white nightdress that only goes halfway down her thigh. Running a hand through her newly-stolen hair, she spits either on me or the spot around me before walking away as if I was an ant under her foot.

You don't stop to pity it after you crush it to pieces.

Now I'm not sure whose perspective I'm watching through, but all I can see is the tall grass and my retreating back quickly disappearing into the distance.

On the other side of the water, I shriek:

"_STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTT!" _

* * *

If she had eyes, they would've snapped open as she shot upright, chest heaving out panicked breaths and her bloodstream filled with adrenaline that was not dying down. She placed a hand over her chest; her heart was thumping so hard it threatened to leap out of her throat.

Her gaze shifted from side to side, trying to make sense of where she was when she felt a sudden chill run down her spine. She hugged herself when she realized she wasn't wearing a shirt, and in its place were her chest binds still on and a diagonal bandage wrapped on her shoulder. She touched it gently and winced, still feeling a bit of pain.

_That's right, _she remembered. _Yukio shot me, and then… _She shook her head, looking frantically for her hoodie to cover herself. Even though she was in the True Cross infirmary, she still felt overexposed without it and frankly, embarrassed and nearly naked. At least she was wearing a pair of shorts that she had no idea how they got on her.

Dragging her fingertips through her wig, she made sure the chocolate-coloured bangs flopped well over her eyes before getting up and moving. The tiles at her feet felt shockingly cold as she clenched her bandaged shoulder tight and made her way over to a chair, where her Wildebeest Corner hoodie and slacks were draped over a chair. Before her hand reached the precious clothes, she paused and tiptoed over to the closed door, pressing an ear against it and listening carefully. There was nobody outside, or at least it didn't sound like it. Hurriedly she pulled on her clothes and glanced around the room.

_I have to get out of here, _the adrenaline in her blood didn't fade away at all. _I have to go. _

To be honest, all she wanted to do was just leave this school. Because how could she face anyone? How could she look Yukio in the eye after what he did, after his eyes were looking at her like that? How could she stand to be in the same presence as Mephisto, who pulled the surprise attack and laughed at her? How could she smile at her classmates after she had been lying to them for so long?

_Just go to the bus stop and wait. Wait for the bus that's gonna take me home with Auntie and uncle. Okay. I can do this. Just… _

She heard footsteps begin to patter down the halls.

_Just jump the fuck out the window! _

Grabbing the chair that her clothes had been set on, she jammed it sideways between the door and the walls surrounding it. Yanking the curtains back, she winced at the sudden light against her eyes and the dim room. Her fingers seemed to trip over each other as they fumbled to unlock the window latch. With a satisfying 'click', she shoved it roughly to the side, and a rush of cool fall air whipped her in the face.

Her jaw nearly bounced off her chest. _What?! That's… that's like a ten-story drop! _

Two knocks echoed off the door. Her head spun to look for only a moment before looking at the cement which seemed to be swirling below her.

"Miss? Are you in?"

_Mephisto-! _

Her attention swung back to the cement, mind whirling. There was no way she could make it down without jumping and killing herself. She peeked her head out further; the windows weren't too far apart…

Were those bushes over there?

"Are you awake? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

_Sorry, not now. Jumping out a window to escape my doom. _

One leg. She inhaled sharply through her nose, feeling her bare foot scrape the side of the building. Where the hell were her shoes?

Two legs. Her elbows stayed on the windowsill as her legs dangled out of it. _Don't look down. _She chanted like a mantra. _Don't. Look. Down. _

The doorknob rattled. "Miss? Don't tell me you've tried to intentionally lock me out, now."

She immediately took back the mental apology uttered just moments before.

Her hands slipped further down, the blood no longer rushing to her fingers which were rapidly turning white. She could feel herself start to slip already from the accumulating sweat. Her feet dug into the wall, trembling slightly.

_One, two…_

_THREE! _

Her heart really did feel like it was leaping out of her throat as she sailed through the air and to the next window. Her palms clamped onto the windowsill and her lower half swayed left and right until she anchored her feet to the wall. She inwardly sighed with relief. _Oh, thank God. Now to get up… _

"M-Monster…!"

_Huh? _

A girl who looked about her age stood at the window looking down at her. She had a mess of curly black hair atop her head, storm grey eyes, and a hospital gown on. Her skin looked just as pale as hers, with dark circles under her tear-filled eyes from days without sleeping. What was she here for? She looked outright terrified.

That would probably explain the hammer in her hands.

_Oi oi oi, hold the fuck up-! _Her jaw most likely fell open again.

"Get _OUT_!" The patient shrieked, raising the hammer over her head.

She intended to jump to the next window, but at the most horrible moment her hands slipped trying to avoid the damned hammer that was going to crush her fingers into tater tots.

Her arms and legs soon turned into windmills, frantically looking for some kind of leverage to stop her fall and found nothing. If her hood flew back, she wasn't concerned. The black-haired girl fainted after her attack anyway.

Another moment passed when she realized she was lucky for a split second that she couldn't talk. She would've screamed and given her position away, right? Unless that girl's banshee screaming probably captured the attention of her principal.

_Great. _She thought as her back met with empty space for much longer than she thought. _Not only did I nearly get my hands smashed, Mephisto is gonna laugh as I fall out of a window. _

Finally she smacked right into the fluffy bushes. Though they did good enough of a job cushioning her fall, it still knocked the breath out of her and it certainly didn't help when a wasp threatened to seizure over her leg.

_Ow ow ow ow ow… _She rubbed her sore tailbone which had landed roughly into a stray branch. _Fucking hell. What'd I do to you?! _She brushed several leaves and possibly a caterpillar out of her wig before tugging her hood back up. Daringly she risked a glance at her window. Mephisto didn't seem to be inside. Surely anyone would notice the purple, pink, and white flashing from the room.

Trying to get her breath back, she scrambled to her feet and raced back to the dorm to get her things.

* * *

_How long was I out? _She stopped while walking towards the front gates to look up at the sky, which was already washed over with a palette of red, orange, and yellow. The wheels of her suitcase stopped as well, and her shoulder bag was nearly stuffed with all the things she could fit in there. She trusted Mephisto would have the boxes sent back too; he didn't have any need to keep her things anyway. If anything he'd want to send all her belongings back to her home as soon as he could.

Slipping a hand into her pocket, her fingers found the golden key and took it out to make sure it was there for the fiftieth time. _I still can't believe they didn't check my pockets. Well, at least I can get out of here as fast as I can. I don't want anything to do with this place anymore. _She shook her head to no one in particular, but rather to show some form of disgust. This school must have been cursed. Nothing good had ever happened since she came here anyway. The only lead she'd ever found was where her twin was hiding, but she still didn't know how to feel about killing it. So was it all for nothing?

Before she knew it she was staring at the academy, thinking of everything that had happened. _Is that true? _Her teeth gnashed together. _Was all my time here wasted? _

Taking in a shuddery breath, she punted a rock and watched it skit along the cement. That was how low she felt. She'd been stuffed with desires and promised she would get the answers she was hoping for. And finally everyone had kicked her down. Something _always _interfered, stopping her from getting her wish. It wasn't supposed to be this hard.

If she could scream, she would scream as many swear words as she knew of to the sky, including the ones in foreign languages.

Dragging her feet, she somehow made her way to the front gate, where the gate once again unhinged and allowed her access. Before going through, she lazily threw the key behind her, hearing it clatter on the ground for a couple seconds before falling still. She realized too late that she should've burned it but carried on regardless.

Her heel just lifted off the ground; the wheels had just started rolling again, when she heard the familiar sound of trampling footsteps thundering towards her. The teachers?

But when she whipped around, she nearly fell over at the sight. All the cram school students looked like they were running a marathon, and she was the ribbon they were supposed to rip through to be claimed as first place.

"_OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!_" Rin yelled, waving a hand in the air. "Kyohei! There you are!"

_Rin?! _

"Where have you been?" Shima struggled to get out as they stumbled towards her. The strawberry-head doubled over, pressing his hands on his knees.

_Shima, learn how to breathe before talking. _

Bon yelped in shock. "How the hell did you get the front gates open? You need the key for that!"

_Um, yeah, about that._

Konekomaru adjusted his red frames. "Where are you going, Takahiro-kun? Do you have permission to leave the Academy?"

_W-Well, it isn't really that… _Her eyes found the floor. Why were they here? Now everything was a hell of a lot more painful.

"Why do you have your luggage?" Izumo inquired, putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her crimson eyes at her. "Don't tell me you were planning on running away. You're an idiot!"

_What's your problem? I never even answered! _

Before she could show any kind of reaction, Shiemi spoke up. "Don't go, Takahiro-kun!"

_But I-_

The next person attacked, this time it was Rin again. "The clown told us to find you. Where were you the whole damn day?" He scratched the back of his head. "Anyways, just get back to the dorm. I'm making omelet rice tonight."

An unexplainable lump began to rise in her throat. Furiously she shook her head. _I can't. I'm going. _

"Isn't that the front gate key?" Paku pointed to the golden key that was tossed on the ground. "Why do you have it, Takahiro-kun?"

"Don't tell me you're leaving!" Shima whined, brown eyes pleading like a puppy.

_That's it. _Rummaging through her shoulder bag, she found her sketchbook and quickly scribbled down some sentences before shoving it in everyone's faces. They leaned forward to read it, eyes moving with the text.

_[I got expelled. Mephisto or Yukio should have told you.] _

"Expelled?" Konekomaru echoed, clearly surprised. "How did you get expelled?"

"That isn't the problem." The violet-haired girl pointed out. "Principal Pheles and Okumura-sensei never told us you were leaving. Neither did any of our regular high school teachers, did they?" The rest of the group shook their heads.

"And if you really were expelled, why would Principal Pheles send us to find you?" Shiemi asked.

Her body tilted back a bit, not knowing how to respond. Finally she decided to tell them the truth.

_[I lost a bet to him. He said I'd be expelled if I did.] _

A collective "Eh!?" erupted from the Pages.

"You were lying!" Shima cried, pointing an accusing finger in her face. "You told me that was just a bad dream!"

"What the hell are you thinking? He can't kick you out for a reason like that!" Rin protested. "Mephisto didn't even say you were expelled when he came to our regular classroom anyway!"

_He… He didn't?! _A million curses ran through her brain as she tried picking out which ones she would most likely tell him if she could speak.

"Besides…" The delinquent-looking boy glanced away with a frown as his words trailed off.

"Besides?" Shima elbowed him teasingly.

"Spit it out." Izumo demanded, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, Bon. Go ahead and tell us." Rin joined in, smirking and pretending to whisper.

"Don't call me Bon!" Said boy yelled angrily. "It's just…" He clenched his hands into fists and inhaled sharply before finally saying:

"You can't leave before I get a chance to get even with you!" Bon shouted, cheeks flushing slightly from pressure.

_Wha…_

"I still owe you for before. For saving Shima. And if you left before I ever made it up to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself, alright?!" He finished, eyes squeezing shut.

Before anyone could say another word, her mostly unused phone beeped in her bag. A message alert. She flipped open the purple phone and opened the text.

_**Just kidding~ **_❤ о(ж＞▽＜)ｙ

_You are kidding me._

_YOU ARE FUCKING KIDDING ME! _

It was hard to describe exactly how she felt at the moment. Should she have been happy? She still had a chance to make everything up. Should she have been frustrated that she couldn't go home yet?

But neither of those surfaced. All she could feel was redeemed, ready, determined, and relieved. In fact, if she had working tear ducts, she may have even shed a tear.

_My time isn't up yet. _She snapped the phone shut with a smile and proceeded to tuck it back into her bag. _So don't count me out. _

"Well?" Shima asked expectantly, and she hadn't even realized that the whole group had been staring and completely quiet.

Her hand stopped and showed them the text.

The phone clacked onto the ground.

How she and seven other students got crushed into a giant group hug, she had no idea. Rin, Shima, and Konekomaru were laughing, of course. Shiemi and Paku simply giggled, Izumo and Bon protested but eventually gave in, half-heartedly putting their arms back around the tight circle and further squishing Chiho in the middle.

Even if Shima's face threatened to rub her hood off and she had to hold it down, she decided that maybe being here wasn't such a bad thing after all.

* * *

In her long blue pajama pants and tank top, she rolled over on her side, all her homework done and every box unpacked. Everything was in its proper place, and she liked it. She made a vow to herself that night- she was going to try even harder in school, cursing her past self for being so reckless because she thought it wouldn't matter. Her gaze landed on the rays of moonlight that shone through the open window, lighting up the desk and a bit of the floor. Swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, she crossed over to the window and opened it by a gap. The crisp night air met her nose and smelt wonderful. For the moment, she was truly at peace staring at the amber lights that shone outside.

_It's such a perfect night. _Slowly she breathed in the soothing aroma. Somehow it was just different from the morning air. _Cool, clear, calm, quiet. _

_It would be such a waste to just lie here. _Grabbing her dark green hoodie off the post of the bed, her blanket, slippers, and sketchbook, she quietly exited the room with a small click.

Perhaps it was because she felt so much more confident in herself, but the dark hallways didn't seem frightening at all. After turning a couple times and going up a set of stairs, she found the roof.

It was a lot colder than she thought, but her hoodie blocked most of the chill. It was the first time she'd been up here. Small and run-down like most of the dorm, but something about the atmosphere was different. The breeze, the stars, the full moon shimmering on a perfectly black sky. It was just… flawless. The simple sight was enough to take her breath away.

Her legs brought her to the edge of the rooftop and she sat down, letting her legs swing over it and kick the wall under it lightly. She allowed her back to hit the floor, and stared up at the stars. Such a calming sight. The pen in her hand flicked back and forth. She'd wanted to draw something up here, but realized too late it was useless. She shouldn't be thinking about how it would look on paper; she should have been taking in the beauty of this place. Of all the craziness and stress this Academy had given her, it was so rare to come across a natural sight that was this beautiful.

After a while she sat back up, still not feeling very tired as she set her things aside. The wind ruffled her clothes, hood, and a few tufts of the wig underneath, but heed it no mind. It was beautiful here, and that was all that mattered. She felt like drifting away with the breeze.

"Couldn't sleep?"

She wasn't surprised at all, though the voice had made her jump a bit. Turning her head to the door, she knew it was the raven-haired boy in his long pajama pants and blue sweater with the sleeves pulled down this time. A paper bag was in his hands as he made his way over to her and sat down. For some reason a human presence didn't bother her this time around. Maybe deep down she had actually wanted the company, though she would never admit to it.

"Nice night out, huh?" Rin said with a smile. "Kinda hard to believe all that happened today."

She reached for the abandoned book and pen. As usual he waited without interrupting her, looking not at all irritated with the time she took. She liked that too.

_[Why are you here?] _Though it was dark, the moonlight and a nearby lamp attracting a moth allowed for enough luminosity to read.

"I just had to go to the bathroom and saw that you weren't in your room." He threaded a hand through the messy locks with a yawn. "I didn't think you'd really leave the dorm, so I thought I'd check up here."

_But my room's nowhere near the bathroom. _She realized. _You liar. _Though she wasn't necessarily angry about that.

She nodded her understanding and looked back out into the night, letting a content silence fall between them. It wasn't exactly a bad one; for a couple minutes they just watched the scene until he spoke up again.

"Here."

A fluffy white bun landed in her hands having been casually tossed. It was blissfully warm, and there was still steam coming out of it. She turned to Rin, who was getting ready to take a big bite of it himself before he noticed her staring.

He just grinned. "Oh, it's a chocolate bun. It's kinda like taiyaki. I bought some today and steamed it earlier. It's really awesome, so try it."

Hesitantly she sniffed it, but couldn't deny that she was dying for a dessert. She tentatively took a bite, and sweet, slightly bitter chocolate sauce pooled into her mouth. After covering her lips with her palm to let out some of the boiling hot excess, she stared at the pastry.

It was amazing.

Rin somehow noticed the reaction and laughed. "Good, right?" His bun was already halfway devoured.

She nodded again before a tube was put into her hands.

_Why do we have a piping bag in our dorm? _

"It's cream." Rin spoke with his mouth full. "Put some on the inside, it tastes better with it."

Though she didn't exactly trust the idea, she did as he asked and took another taste with a layer of cream outlining the inside.

_He's right. _She stopped chewing to take in the wonderful sensation on her taste buds. _It is better with cream. I shouldn't have questioned the piping bag. _

Dropping the frosting tool back into the paper bag, they let another silence drag out until she finished eating.

As she licked her chocolate covered lips, he spoke again. "Hey." She angled her head to the teen.

"You've never actually told me, but… Why are you here?" He asked, voice softer than usual and not meeting her eyes. "Why do you want to be an Exorcist?"

She swung the pen back and forth again, wondering how to respond as the lamp cast moving shadows onto the page. Finally she answered, gently shoving the book into his lap.

_[I need to find something important that I lost.] _

"That so," He hummed thoughtfully before looking up again. "Well, this is True Cross Academy. I heard good things from this place too. But…"

This time he turned his face to her, and her breath hitched a little at how his electric blue eyes shone in the amber light of the lamp.

A friendly smile etched itself onto his face. "I'm sure that you'll find it someday. So don't worry about it."

_Did he… Is he being unintentionally sweet? _It took her a couple seconds to register the kind words. What did she do to get this boy to be so nice to her?

Feeling flustered herself, she messily wrote down more words:

_[Thanks. What about you?] _

"Me?" He laughed a little, smiling wryly. "If you promise not to laugh, I guess."

_[Go ahead.] _

"I…" His hand turned into a fist on his lap, bangs flopping over his eyes. Why did the air around him suddenly change? "I want to be an Exorcist because…"

She held her breath and waited, heart thumping.

Suddenly he burst out into awkward laughter, messing up his hair with one hand again. "B-Because Yukio told me the pay is good and all, and a lotta girls would fall for such a badass Exorcist like me! It'd be so cool!"

_What?! You are so lying! _She drew back, shocked that he would suddenly take it back after looking so serious.

_[Liar. Just tell me. I won't judge you for it.] _

"I did tell you." He laughed again, though just as uneasily. "So get off my back, alright-" His sentence got cut off from a sudden sneeze. "Yeesh, it's cold…"

With a silent sigh, she threw the blanket around her shoulders over his face, a muffled sound of protest falling from his lips from under it.

As he mumbled some obscenity and wrapped it around himself, she interrupted his thanks.

_[Friends don't keep secrets from each other.] _

_Why did I just say that? _Her body heated up again.

"Y-Yeah. You're right." His eyes grew wide staring at the page. "Wait! You're actually calling me your friend?"

Sucking in a breath, she nodded. _Yeah. You're… my friend. _She admitted in her head.

In a totally brotherly, platonic way, he threw an arm around her, nearly putting her in a headlock as he laughed goofily and therefore cutting off her breathing. "Wow, that's a relief! After all we went through, you finally see me as a friend! I thought I'd never get through to you, man!" Even though he'd said he was cold, why was he so _warm_?

He settled down, loosening his grip on her a bit as she put a hand over his in an attempt to pry him off. "I'll tell you someday. When I trust you a little more." And with that, he let go, awkwardly pulling the dropped blanket back around his shoulders as she resisted the urge to pout.

Both of them stared out to the scene again. Rin fell backwards, much like the pose she'd been in before, staring up at the stars.

"You're not alone, y'know."

Her head turned to him in surprise.

"You've got friends here, too. Me and Yukio, and the rest of our class. So stop thinking you can do everything yourself. There are some things you can't do alone. And besides…" He rolled back up into a sitting position and grinned. "You can't get back what's so important without some help."

A few moments passed with her just staring at Rin, wondering what she could possibly say. What was with this guy? Being so nice to her… Her body was rapidly heating at this rate, some kind of unfamiliar sensation coming over her that caused her heart to pound a little harder in her chest. So annoying, persistent, short-tempered, and... _kind. _

When she came up with a half-decent response, she handed him the sketchbook.

_[Just because we're friends doesn't mean you're not a dumbass.] _

"Hey-!" He flared up in anger until she pointed to a smaller sentence near the bottom of the page.

_[But thanks. I'll remember that.] _

Rin softened immediately before flashing her another cheerful look, obviously happy to have been accepted by this stone-like person.

"Yeah. Don't mention it."

After telling so many lies, it felt good to say at least one thing she truly meant.

That night, she slept the best she ever had since coming to the Academy.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry that I suck so bad at writing fluff! D: **

**Yeah, mostly an uneventful chapter... I'm sorry (again) that this is late, and if I rushed anything. But other than that, THANK YOU SO MUCH for over 20 + favorites and 30+ follows! I'm so glad so many people like reading this, so I'll definitely do my best to finish this story c: (But don't worry, it's honestly nowhere near finished.) And over 2,000 views? asdfghjkl; x_x YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME.**

**Another thing to apologize for is that I don't respond to reviews... But I truly do appreciate each and every one and read them all! In fact, I kind of eat them. Like fries. And ketchup. :D **

**So THANK YOU SO MUCH to the following people!**

**katsekala (many kisses to you too :3)**

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**aaaaaaaand basically ALL my lovely reviewers. You know who you are, so a million cheesecakes to you! (preferably chocolate, I love chocolate cheesecake) **

**Thanks so much for reading! **❤


	11. On the Move

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Blue Exorcist. Everything except for my OC and imagination belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.  
**

* * *

_On the Move_

_It's gray. _

The almond shapes appeared in her vision again- where her eyelids should be. Her bare feet felt uncomfortably cold, even with her long pajamas brushing them. When she moved, she felt the covers twist with her.

_I'm all tangled up. _She vaguely noticed, still half-asleep. _Kinda like Rin. _

Realizing what she had just thought, she slapped her hand to her forehead before rubbing her face and inhaling sharply. _Sheesh. What am I doing? Thinking of that guy the second I wake up. He's cursing me, isn't he? _With a soundless groan, she rolled herself up into a sitting position and yawned, not wanting to leave the warm haven of her bed.

_Oh… What was I thinking of again? _In a bit of a haze, she stared out the window. _Oh, yeah. It's gray. _

Winters at True Cross Academy were slightly troublesome for her and her roommates. It wasn't too different from any other time of year, but naturally it was colder, and the worst part was that their old asylum baby of a dorm didn't have working heaters. Rin wasn't used to such cold conditions and declared (loudly) he was going to sleep in layers now.

So it wasn't exactly a surprise when she and Yukio ended up trying to peel seventeen shirts and ten pairs of pants off him.

Rin decided he wasn't going to sleep in layers anymore.

She only had to lean over a bit from her position to get her hoodie and slacks off the edge of the bedpost. Tugging her blankets tight to her, carefully she began to get dressed, curling her feet into the warmth. A slight urge of OCD was annoyed that her torso was significantly warmer than her legs.

After dressing and a small sneeze, she braced herself, bounced out of bed, and started stretching. Usually that helped her wake up a bit more since the sunlight was long gone thanks to the season.

Once she heard a crack in her arm that was a bit too loud she decided that was enough. Heading to the dining area, she saw that the younger twin was just starting to eat, and gave her that smile.

Yukio was strange; or at least it seemed that way to her. Ever since he had ended up getting her into a hospital, he acted like nothing was wrong. He was too good of a liar, and remembering that made her mind get all jumbled up trying to deduct exactly how she felt towards him. The young teacher was smart, definitely smarter than she was. And worst of all, he knew practically everything about her she was trying to hide but never acknowledged it. Knowing that she would have to keep her guard up even more than usual made her skin prickle somewhat. Either he was feigning ignorance or he thought she never heard anything.

"Good morning, Takahiro-kun." He greeted her, picking up his chopsticks. "Did you sleep well?"

She gave a small wave and nodded, glancing over to Rin's empty seat.

"Oh, Rin?" Yukio smiled wryly. "He's overslept again. I just can't get him up. Takahiro-kun?"

She was already spinning on her heel and walking quickly towards the wash area. When she made it there, she grabbed her blue washcloth and turned on the rusty sink, allowing it a couple seconds to turn as cold as she could make it. It was shocking it didn't turn to ice as it ran.

She was nearly running when she made it to room 602 with a soaking wet washcloth dripping with freezing water in her hand, turning it bright red. Basically kicking the door open, she was met with Rin snoring loudly on his side of the room.

Chiho didn't waste any time in flipping him over (in which he didn't notice), wrestling the covers away from him (in which he didn't notice), and curling two fingers into the collar of his shirt and yanking down (in which he didn't notice). Using her fingers to wad up the cloth as much as she could, she made sure the aim was _just _right…

And squeezed.

It wasn't a gradual, let's-see-how-many-drops-he-can-withstand-before-h e-wakes-up kind of thing. She had a full-on icy waterfall pounding down on the nape of his neck and probably down his back.

Teal orbs snapped open and all hell broke loose.

After twenty minutes of screaming, wrestling, headlocks, and getting scolded by Yukio, the trio was decent looking enough to leave the dorm.

As the three walked towards the main building, she shuddered against the sudden chill and drew her maroon scarf a little closer to her face, nuzzling her nose in it.

Rin's and Yukio's noses and cheeks were already slightly flushed from the cold. Lightly she touched her own, even though she knew it wouldn't turn red. The colour would never spring to her face no matter how embarrassed she was. That was frustrating too, though she'd lived like this for years. Why couldn't she just accept what she saw in the mirror? Her hands curled into fists in the pocket of her hoodie.

"Well, I'm off to my class now." Yukio said, placing his hands on both their shoulders.

_You shot me. _

Her brain had suddenly screamed the words she'd been holding back, and her body acted on paranoid reflexes. An angry smack resonated in her ears for a few seconds before she realized what she'd done.

Yukio drew his hand back as if it had just been pricked by a thorn. "Takahiro-kun?" His teal eyes blinked in confusion.

"Whoa, Kyohei?" Rin's gaze fixed on her, looking comically shocked at her sudden response. "What's wrong with you?"

Their reactions made her cheeks burn. _Shit, I… _She forced herself to look at her teacher, try to look like she was sorry before wrapping her head around the fact that she couldn't do that. _I didn't mean to, I just… _She shocked herself when she felt her mouth open to try to apologize.

"Is something the matter?" Yukio asked, hand falling to his side now. Dammit, he didn't have to look so _hurt_. Several people stopped to stare and whisper, bits of their conversations flooding into her ears.

Subconsciously she started moving.

Moving farther.

And farther.

And farther.

_Why am I running? _

She could've sworn half the girls in the school were whispering behind her back, giving her glares and saying things along the lines of "How _dare _he snub Okumura-kun's kindness like that!" and "I'll never forgive you…" or the occasional death threat.

Her legs carried her all the way to the library, where she just wanted to curl up under a desk and die. Another childish voice appeared in her head.

_This is why I hate not being able to talk. I can't say the things that matter most. _

Was she overreacting? Maybe. Perhaps she even knew that herself. But it was because she had even thought that in the first place that she had just suddenly reacted. Her body thought he was a predator.

Getting _that _across as a reason was gonna take a hell of a lot of courage she didn't have.

* * *

"As you all know, we have roughly a week and a half before the winter break." Said the man she was trying hardest to avoid but failed miserably. "We are not going to be doing any kind of serious studies until then, but we have recently received a request for an exorcism."

"An exorcism? But aren't we still Pages?" Bon asked.

"Do we really have permission for something like that?" Konekomaru added.

Yukio smiled. "Well, it's not an exorcism on your part. The only thing we need your help with is locating a ghost sighted in this town. It's also a resort, so when we're not on duty, we can take our time and relax to celebrate the end of the semester."

_A resort… huh? _She leaned her chin further into the palm of her hand wondering if he hated her. She was ready to apologize; they lived in the same dorm so avoiding him was impossible.

"A resort! Oh, man, this is gonna be awesome!" Rin looked like he was ready to explode and shoot out of the roof. She remembered then that he had a rather sheltered life, so going to a new place was a big deal for him. Too bad he handled the situation like a three-year-old. But at the same time, his eagerness was kind of… _cute_, in a childish sort of way.

She mentally slapped herself right away and tried not to slam her face into the desk. _Fuck! What am I thinking? Well… _He turned around from his desk to face her with a big grin and his eyes sparkling before flashing a thumbs-up. _I guess I'll allow that much. _

Izumo put up her hand. "Sensei. Where is this resort?"

"Ah, yes. This resort is located on the outskirts of the Academy town. We're planning to arrive there by train after class on Friday- two days from today. Spend tomorrow packing, and make sure your valuables are someplace safe. We'll be staying at the resort for two days."

A faint spark went off in the back of her brain before being replaced with panic. Her pencil rolled off the table without her noticing.

_No, wait. Don't tell me it's-_

"We'll be going to Hosenka, the new resort town."

It was as if she had been dunked underwater. Any voice she heard was far away and blurred, and the world felt freezing and plunged in a dark ocean. Terror clawed its way up her throat as she tried to breathe properly and not drown in her own fear.

"Hosenka? I've never heard of it." Shiemi remarked to the excited raven sitting beside her.

"Yes, well, commercials were running for it up until a month ago. Since then the whole town has been rebuilt since it hasn't been in a very stable condition as of late. We've already made reservations, so it should be quite the experience." Yukio picked up where she left off, surprising the blonde a bit.

Thrilled chatter filled the room for the next couple minutes, in which Shima grabbed her by the arm and insisted she sit down on the table behind the Kyoto trio. Involuntarily she did, but only because Shima asked her. Konekomaru and Bon didn't mind her presence as much nowadays, though she did receive a glare or two from the latter every now and then. That was a great improvement.

"Man, a hot spring! This'll be great!" Shima said happily before a smirk crept up onto his face that she didn't trust. "Just imagine. Three cute girls, in a hot spring, _together_! I vote we bust our asses over there and take a peek!"

_Guys being guys. _She sighed and tried not to gnaw her fingernails off.

"Shima-san, you should really try to tame your otherworldly desires." Konekomaru chided his friend, which was honestly quite pointless.

Bon just groaned, slamming a fist on the table. "Damnit, Shima, you're supposed to be a monk! I thought you were gonna be more mature now that we're in high school!"

The strawberry-head just laughed as Chiho's fist lightly hit him in the side of the head as a warning. "Oh, come on, Bon. You of all people would know I never keep my promises."

"Are you excited for the hot springs as well, Takahiro-kun?" Konekomaru asked her, obviously trying to steer the topic away from Shima's 'habits' for a bit.

Before she nodded, a sudden realization struck her in the side of the head like a train crash, knocking her completely speechless for longer than she expected.

_Wait. I'm supposed to be a guy. Guys bathe together in hot springs._

_But I'm a girl. _

_Shit. _

"Takahiro?" Bon eyed her suspiciously. "You alright? You've kinda been staring into space for a while."

She felt like a nutcracker as she stiffly nodded and tried to smile.

_This town is the detour of Hell. You're haunting me, aren't you, Hosenka? _

* * *

The next day was mostly uneventful, spent packing and texting her Aunt about everything that was happening. That night at dinner Rin wouldn't stop talking about the vacation; his curry was starting to get cold and that bothered her greatly.

"We've never even been to a hot spring before, Yukio! I thought you'd be a _little _more excited about it, y'know." He muttered, poking at a potato soaked in sauce.

"I am. It should be fun." The teacher smiled, and she tried not to melt into her seat in a sad attempt of disappearing. Thankfully at that moment he finished his dinner and went into the cooking area to put his bowl and spoon down. "Alright, I'm done, so if you two need me you know where to find me. I'll be finishing my share of packing, okay?"

_No, wait, don't go yet, I- _She slumped down in her chair a bit. _Why do I even bother…_

For the next couple minutes, she and Rin sat and ate in a somewhat comfortable silence. Surprisingly he didn't push her any further about her behavior towards his brother earlier that day seeing as how he was too excited for the trip. When an idea popped into her head, she pushed the mostly-empty bowl aside and pulled out her sketchbook.

"Hm?" Rin turned his head to the page.

_[Let's have signals.] _

"Signals?" A dark eyebrow arched in confusion. "What do you mean? Like, sign language?"

She shook her head.

_[This is the signal for when I'm calling your name.] _He looked expectantly at her before a fist bopped him lightly in the side of the head.

"Alright, cool, I get it! What else?" Rin lifted a finger to scratch his cheek, and she was taken aback at how eager he was at the idea.

She thought for a minute before writing again.

_[This is the signal for when __I'm calling your name __I'm sorry.] _She slugged him in the shoulder, hard. _Don't be expecting this often. _

He jumped and nearly fell out of his chair before screeching in pain. "_Ow! _Goddamn Kyohei, you punch way too hard! How does that make an apology?!"

She smirked and gave an over-exaggerated shrug and continued writing, Rin still whimpering and rubbing his now-bruised shoulder every now and again.

_[This is the signal for when __I'm calling your name I'm sorry __you're being a dumbass.] _Before he could pull away in alarm, she grabbed his nose and yanked, causing him to yelp and squeeze his eyes shut.

A series of pained 'ows' emitted from him before she let go, leaving his nose an interesting shade of red.

"_Augh! _Kyohei, what the hell? Do _any _of these not hurt?!" His voice sounded nasally as he rubbed his sore nose.

_Oh… That's a tough one. _She tapped her pen against her chin in thought.

_[This is the signal for when __I'm calling your name I'm sorry you're being a dumbass __I'm telling you to stop.] _She went behind him and pulled at his wrist.

He nodded before his eyes widened in horror. "Crap, do I actually have to remember all of these?"

She frowned and sat back down, scribbling barely coherent words down on the paper.

_[It's your choice if you want communicating to be easier or not.] _

The troubled visage in front of her calmed before melting into an apologetic smile. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just not good at this kinda stuff." He laughed awkwardly, threading a hand behind his head. "We're gonna have to practice."

Still facing forward, she put a hand on the side of his head and shoved gently, this time not drawing out any sounds from the boy.

_[That's the signal for okay.] _

"Alright." His tone was a lot softer, but not because he was hurt. He was just… quieter as they finished eating. "Tell me if you come up with any more." His brow furrowed. "Actually, scratch that. You'll end up killing me, won't you?"

_[Maybe.] _

* * *

The next day after class, she sat in the train surrounded by people who were slowly starting to warm up to her. She slid and unslid her slide phone, fingers hovering over the touch pad keys before shuffling the cover back over the screen. Hands needing to fidget, she twirled a strand of loose hair that had fallen from her wig and wrapped it around a finger until she started losing blood circulation before letting it unwind.

As the rest of her classmates chattered on and on about the trip, she let her head fall to the window, watching the gray world speed by. She felt the vibrations of the rattling vehicle through the contact.

_What am I supposed to do? _Her mind shrouded with black clouds of worry. _Can I maybe… bathe after them? Pretend I'm sick? Lock myself in the bathroom and say my stomach hurts? _

Her lips fell ajar for a second before pressing together again. _That could actually work. They wouldn't dare disturb me if I lied and said I had severe diarrhea. Yeah. They wouldn't. _

She risked a glance over at Rin begging Shima to read his fortune by shaking his shoulders furiously until her pink-haired friend looked like some sort of terrified ragdoll.

_Right? _

She huffed silently and swung her attention back to the ever-moving and changing colours. _Either way, one thing's for certain. No way am I bathing with a bunch of guys. Not till Hell freezes over. _

* * *

She didn't wake up until a warm hand shook her shoulder. "Oi, Kyohei. Get up, we're here."

"Finally." Bon pushed himself off the seat as Shima and Konekomaru followed. She could've sworn Shima was smirking and giggling something about towels. The rest of the girls looked excited too, though Shiemi trailed behind Izumo and Paku somewhat shyly.

With a small yawn, she stretched hastily and followed the rest of the students out of the train. She heard Rin gasping in awe and suddenly stopped moving, causing her to bump into his back and a domino effect ensued. Did Bon just swear?

"Whoa…" The raven breathed, and she walked around to stand beside him. _What? _

Her jaw nearly hit the ground.

Instead of the rural-looking wooden houses, _everything _was rebuilt. It still held the old-fashioned style, but the colours were so much brighter, reds, blues, and greens decorating the entire town. Lanterns and colourful lights hung from tiled roofs, and the whole residence seemed to sparkle with lush plants and exquisite (and slightly intimidating) statues by local households. She heard the faint rush of water somewhere; a bamboo fountain?

_What happened to this place? It… It looks nothing like it did before! _Her frantic gaze took in everything it could. _How did they rebuild it in such a short period of time? _

"Alright everyone, we're here." Yukio announced, a satisfied hum emitting from the back of his throat as he reached his arms up. "Please get your belongings from the train, and we'll make our way to our rooms before it gets dark." He rolled up a sleeve to glance at his watch. "We've about an hour to get settled before we're on duty. Let's get going!"

As the rest of the students got their luggage from the train, she kept her lips pressed in a tight line. Her stomach was flipping over and over again and a tight knot of tension began to coil up inside.

_Can I really last two days here? _

"Oi, Takahiro! You coming?" Bon called, already ahead with most of the boys. Shima stayed behind with her to lug his bag over his shoulder.

_Yeah… _She nodded and followed suit.

* * *

"Wow, it's bigger in here than I thought!" Rin gaped at the room, and you could practically see the sparkles radiating off him. "Oh, man, this'll be awesome!"

"By the way, where's Okumura-sensei staying?" Shima asked, glancing around the Ryokan* styled space.

"I think he said he'd be in a room with Tsubaki-sensei and other staff members." Konekomaru answered, setting his backpack down by the small table in the middle of the room that had a small bowl of oranges on top and two seating pillows on either side.

"But still… this room is in pretty good shape." Bon commented, hands on his hips as he studied the traditional-styled décor, complete with bamboo, a lucky cat statue, and exquisite paintings that complimented the reds, greens, dark browns, and gold.

_Damn, that's a nice lamp. _She remarked as she looked up to the ceiling. _Still… I can't believe how different this place is from when I last came. _

"Huh? Where are the futons?" Rin's eyes widened in shock, as if the world would end if the beds weren't there.

"Calm down, moron, they're being brought in a few minutes." Bon reassured him. Right after he finished, there was a knock on the sliding door and everyone inside perked up at the noise.

"Whoa, you're right!"

But when the door opened, it was Tsubaki-sensei (or Whiskers as Rin called him) poking his head in. He was already dressed in the purple and white robes of the resort, and it revealed way too much of his legs to feel comfortable looking at him. A shiver went down her spine as she averted her gaze.

"Hello, everyone." He greeted the fellow Pages, who all gave their greetings back. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but it seems that Okumura-sensei has run into a bit of a delay. We will be starting the ghost hunt early tomorrow morning instead of tonight, so please settle in and do your share of relaxing tonight and be ready to work hard tomorrow."

"Yukio?" Rin's brow furrowed. "What delay? Is he okay?" _And it's only six o'clock…_

But the whiskery teacher was already out the door. "Alright, thank you! Have fun!"

"Hey, wait-"

The door shut.

"Eh, don't worry about it. The young teacher can handle himself just fine." Bon waved a hand dismissively.

"Guys, hurry and get changed! We gotta get into the hot springs early!" Shima was nearly bouncing up and down in excitement. "We can't be late for when the girls get in!"

"Shima-san!"

Naturally he was already running off to the hot springs.

Bon sighed and followed, though somewhat reluctantly. "There he goes again. Though a dip doesn't sound too bad right now." He swung his head over to the screen door before opening it and peeking outside. "It's already dark out anyway."

"Awesome! Let's go!" Rin shouted, grabbing his backpack and running to the change room.

Chiho stayed behind to rub her hands over her face in frustration.

_This place is gonna be the end of me. _

* * *

**A/N: I just... *no excuse* I'M SORRY. This chapter was difficult to plan and write, so it's not the best one I've written... Also going on a 50-episode anime marathon probably wasn't the best idea. Again, I'M SORRY. But don't worry, this story isn't over/discontinued until I say so, so please trust that it's not over if I don't update for a week or so. (And Chiho in a hot spring full of guys... Where did that idea come from? O_o) And also, how the freaking DONUT did this story reach over 40 follows in just one chapter update? You guys are crazy! But I love you! ; u ;**

**I'd also like to give a quick shout out to SuperiorDimwit for not only being my first reviewer, but also to remind me that I was spelling Mephisto's name wrong for the whole first chapter. xD So thank you! **

**Please R&R if you liked it, it would help me out a lot! **

**Thanks for reading!**

***A Ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese inn that originated in the Edo period. (1603-1868) **


	12. Off Balance

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except my OC and imagination belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners and I'm tired of saying it.**

* * *

_Off Balance_

If you asked her what she was doing, she would tell you that she was hiding in a bathroom as her friends went into the hot springs, most likely wearing a towel that barely covered anything or maybe even nothing at all.

If you asked her why, she would tell you that she was pretending to have severe diarrhea issues because she was going to wait until all the boys were done.

If you asked her why, she would tell you that she was not going to bathe with a bunch of guys. In the meantime she would sit on the toilet seat and play on her PSP. But before that she had to turn away the creepy dragon statue that was staring at her a little too intently.

She tried coming up with inventive ways to get comfortable since the bathroom itself was so crammed and tiny. The floor wasn't comfortable on her back and lying on her side felt awkward. (Pins and needles.) She managed to get into a somewhat tolerable position; her legs draped over the sink counter as she leaned against the wall and sat on the closed toilet seat.

Good enough.

She nearly dropped her PSP again when there were several knocks on the door and Shima's voice rang in. What? Weren't they in the change room by now?

"Takahiro-kun? Are you alright? You've been in there for nearly twenty minutes now."

"Hurry up!" Rin impatiently urged her from the other side of the door. "We're not going in without you!"

Her skin prickled. _Shit. _She fumbled with her sketchbook before sliding a piece of explanatory paper under the door.

_[My stomach hurts like a bitch. You guys go in first.] _

"Your stomach hurts?" Bon said in disbelief and she slumped down in defeat. Even without a voice she was a terrible liar. _I'm such an idiot. _

"Did you eat something weird before we left?" Konekomaru asked.

_[I think so. I'll be fine, so you guys just go without me.] Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it! _

Rin sighed in exasperation and she wondered if they were all in their towels by now. "What a pain. Alright then, just don't take too long."

"You're really okay?" Shima asked, worry evident in his voice.

_[JUST GO. Aren't you going to see the girls naked?] I'm wasting paper here. _

"Well, if you say so. We'll be waiting." Bon sighed in a tone that seemed to cut the conversation short. "Come on."

"I wonder if the girls are already in." Shima said dreamily.

"Otherworldly desires, Shima-san."

"Who cares, I just wanna get there quick! Oh, man, this'll be so great!" Rin sounded like a ball of energy as she listened to them leave.

When the door slid shut, she sighed in relief and threw herself back down onto the toilet seat. They fell for it. But still…

She sighed again and let her head fall back against the wall. Now what?

* * *

Her PSP died.

At the worst possible moment, maybe half an hour into the wait, it died. No battery. Drained. No charger to fill the gap, no amusement, leaving her in the utter silence of the cramped bathroom.

After rolling around on the floor in agony for the next five minutes, she slipped the console back into her pocket and sulked before flipping over and successfully banging her face into the side of the sink in the process.

_Ow ow ow ow ow… Fucking hell! _She hissed silently, rubbing her poor nose. _Jesus, are they done yet? When can I get out of here? _

She rolled over on her side, not feeling comfortable at all. The silence started to hurt. The visible world slipped away as the almond-shaped slits closed, disappointment flooding into her thoughts. _I wanted to go into the hot springs too. I've never been in there with friends. _

She jolted awake from her daze, slapping her cheek to snap herself out of it. Of course she couldn't do that! Guys and girls didn't bathe together! Well… there _were _those popular hot springs for couples that could go in together.

She slapped herself again. _Yeah, sure, if there weren't FOUR guys all in the same one! _

The next ten minutes were spent mentally groaning and counting the tiles on the walls before she bounced upright and rubbed her face. It had been at least half an hour. Some people couldn't take the heat for that long, could they?

_Maybe I should go check on them… _One half of her brain said. _Maybe they all just passed out when they were in there and haven't come out yet._

_Are you crazy?! _The other half shrieked. _They could be naked for all you know! Would you really walk in on a bunch of guys bathing together NAKED? Besides, they might still be awake in there. You walking in would be ridiculously embarrassing. _

_Well, fuck you. _She decided, standing up and reaching for the doorknob. _I'm not spending another minute in here. _

At the sight of the Ryokan room she nearly started crying in joy. Scooping up her bag from the foot of the small table, she rushed over to the changing room as quickly and faster as she dared.

The changing room was a lot bigger than she'd expected it to be. Rows upon rows of tall, white lockers with bamboo designs carefully painted on the front stood in the room, along with two small white sofas aligned perfectly in the middle. The actual hot spring wasn't too far away, and she swallowed thickly, trying to bat the embarrassing thoughts out of her head. If she just so happened to catch a sight of something she was _not _supposed to be seeing, all she had to do was turn around the get the hell out of there. Right? Right.

So why did she feel like a failure of a human being?

Maybe it was that corner of her brain screaming, _girls my age can't ogle naked men! _

Yup.

That was probably it.

Nutcracker mode on. Her limbs moved stiffly over to the screen door, which was opaque enough to cover everything beyond it. Pressing an ear against the wall, she listened intently while trying to convince herself that she was _not _a pervert. All she needed to know was whether they were alive or not.

"I feel dizzy…" A voice mumbled. Konekomaru? She frowned and pushed her ear harder into the door, straining to listen.

"Where's the rest of it? There's more than that!" Shima? Why did he sound so… hyper?

"Don't faint, Konekomaruuuuuu! Come on, open your eyesssssssss!" No way… Rin?

"Hey, leave him alone." Bon warbled, sounding like he was about to pass out. "I can't even see'im anymore!"

_No. No, wait, don't tell me they're… _

She slid the door open a crack, though she felt she didn't need to be as cautious this time.

First of all, they all seemed to be wearing towels, thank God.

Second, a small dish rolled by her feet.

It only took a quick evaluation and a sniff to tell what was going on in the smoke.

She slammed the door shut and collapsed with her back to it as she clapped her hands over her face in exasperation.

_Who the HELL gave saké to the guys?! _

"Whoa! He went under, he went under!" Rin laughed goofily, and she could've sworn that silhouette of someone waving their arms in the air was definitely him. "How long can he hold his breath?" She could barely even understand what he was saying now since all his words were all slurred together.

"That's not funny, Okumura-kun!" Shima wailed, even though she knew he was just as drunk. "He'll dieeeeee!"

"Leggo a' me Shima, you're interested too! Oh wait, why's there three of you now?"

"Who're you talking about, ya assholes?" Bon asked, completely unaware of anything. "There ain't nothin' wrong with anyone dying!"

_My god Bon, you too? I thought you were supposed to be the perfect, responsible student! If any of the teachers see this-_

"Koneko-san, come baaaaaaaack!"

More goofy laughing. "Waaaaiiiiiii~! There's three Shimas!"

"I don't freakin' _see_ anyone!"

_There's just… not enough facepalms… _A sudden realization racked her body, making her shoot up. _Wait a second. Konekomaru went under? _She squinted as if trying to activate x-ray vision to see if he was drowning, but only saw three figures. _Shit! _

After storing her PSP safely in a locker, her hand reached to slide the door back open but froze. _Won't they be able to recognize me? _Quickly she brushed it off and slipped off her shoes. _They're so drunk they can't tell what planet they're on. They won't remember anything anyway. _

Though she tried to reassure herself through the words, her bare foot still twitched upon entering the steam-filled haven. The mist was so thick and the heavy smell of saké lingered in the air. She waved an arm in the steam to try to disperse it a bit before walking in any further.

_Konekomaru… where the hell are you? _She scanned over the pool in which Rin was splashing Shima repeatedly with steaming water, to which the pink-headed boy wailed louder and tried to get revenge, ultimately failing and slipping deeper in. Surprisingly he still remembered how to stand.

Averting her eyes from their half-naked bodies, she spotted a greyish blob under the surface by the edge of the spring. _Konekomaru? Is that you? _Her fingers faltered before dipping into the hot water. After rolling up her hoodie sleeves, she inhaled sharply, tried not to listen to Bon screeching about everything being blurry, and plunged her arms in.

She only made it up to her elbows before she yanked them back out, skin feeling like it was about to peel off. Her unprepared arms were boiling and yet not red in the slightest. So not even burns could change the colour…

This time she only dipped one arm in, gritting her teeth as she fumbled around in the heat until finally finding his shoulder. Looping her fingers under his arm she pulled as hard as she could, and he resurfaced looking red as a lobster, but still breathing. Using both arms now, she tugged the boy upwards so that he lay on his back on the edge of the spring. Luckily the water was so clouded it hid whatever was underneath it, though she nearly coughed up something seeing a towel float away in front of her.

With a sigh of relief, she rolled her sleeves back down and made way to the exit since the air was stuffy and difficult to breathe. Was she sweating already from the humidity? Well, at least her fellow classmate was alive.

Something wet latched onto her bare ankle, making her jump and turn to the source of the heart attack.

"Hey… Kyohei, is that you?" Rin blinked wearily at her, blue eyes foggy and confused. A silly grin broke out on his face. "Oi, he's here! Kyohei's here!"

_No, Rin, you idiot, let go- _Her mind started to go on overdrive, panic beginning to flood into her senses at a very alarming rate.

"Don't be shy~!" He laughed in the drunkest way possible before putting another hand on the same ankle, practically anchoring her down onto the spot as she tried to shake him off. "Come on, don't be shy! Come on in!"

_Yeah. Nice offer. I'll just be declining now if you would just LET GO-! _

"BANZAI~!"

She had no idea what kind of battle cry that was until he yanked, she slipped, and then proceeded to be dragged right into the water as a shock of pain shot up her tailbone. She vaguely thought she would've made a girly shriek had she been able to speak.

It astounded her how hot the water was. Actually being engulfed in it head to toe was completely different from only having half your limbs in it. She resurfaced as quick as she could, soaked to the bone and trying desperately to cough up the water that had gone up her nose before stiffening as she pushed herself up against a rock that could double as a seat and tried not to hyperventilate. In fact, she was so alarmed that she actually forgot to feel angry at her roommate. _Shit. This is bad. This is really really bad. _

"Takahiro-kuuuuuun!" Shima wailed, flying over to tackle her. She dodged just at the right time, though she winced upon hearing him hit the rock wall where she had once been. Just in case she fished the floating towel out of the water with her, though her sopping clothes weighed her down by a lot.

Rin stumbled over to her as she tried to climb out of the spring. He laughed loudly and threw an arm around her, making her nearly leap five meters into the air as she was pulled back down. _Dammit! _Her throat went dry as he tried rubbing her hood off with his cheek. "You looked like an elephant falling in!" His breath reeked of alcohol and she then hazily remembered why minors were _not_ supposed to drink.

She somehow managed to wedge a panicked arm between their bodies and shove him off by the cheek, but alas, pushing him away with an arm only _allows_ an arm's length of space away from whoever it is you're trying to avoid.

In other words, not enough.

_God dammit Rin, get OFF-! _Coherent words could not describe how embarrassed she felt. In between her frantic flailing and splashing to try to pry the boy off her, a small voice echoed in the back of her head:

_I'm a horrible human being. _

"Ahaha! You're cold!" He continued giggling and smacked a palm right back into her face, not quite slapping her but the feel of someone else's hand on her despised face made her snap back in surprise.

"Takahiro-kun, where are you?" Shima cried, about to start crying again and she sighed as she grabbed Rin by the hair and tried getting his face away from hers. _Great, now are you gonna start crying too? _

"Waaaaaaiiiiiii! Kyohei, you're so mean!" Luckily Rin didn't start bawling, just grinned, every bit of him drunk, cheeks flushed from heat and alcohol. "Hey… hey, talk to me, Kyohei! Yer always so quiet all the time." A hiccup cut him off. "Tell me sumthin' funny!"

_What?! _Disbelief smacked her in the face. _But I… Did you really just forget everything about me in half an hour?! _

"Who the _hell _are you guys talkin' about, ya dumbasses?!" Bon yelled from the other side, still trying to feel around blindly for a human presence and ended up walking into a wall.

_Good God, somebody please help me. _She gazed upwards towards the foggy, but starry sky in exasperation. _Being trapped in a hot spring full of drunk, half-naked guys is not what I intended to come here for. _Thankfully nothing embarrassing was exposed thanks to the nearly opaque water, but… but… Her mind swirled and she felt dizzier by the second, and nearly passed out when a leg brushed against hers. Rin lazily wrapped his arms around her middle, still trying persistently to rub her hood off.

She snapped back to reality when Shima then decided to wade over to her and she could've sworn he was choking up hot spring water. "Takahiro-kun~! There you are!"

Naturally she took the opportunity in front of her and quickly yanked his arm, pulling him over before grabbing both boys by the heads and smashing them together.

Carefully she laid them out to dry on the edge of the hot spring, not feeling quite as remorseful as always. _Call it an act of self-defense against drunken abuse. And now I can… _She attempted to keep herself calm and failed miserably as she scrambled out of the hot spring, clothes feeling like anvils. She dragged herself into the changing room wondering why the _hell _she thought going in there was a good idea in the first place. She marked that event as the worst possible incident ever in a hot spring.

Two minutes later she collapsed.

* * *

She took a good, long look at herself in the bathroom mirror and realized she was trembling slightly. This was the first time she _hadn't _been wearing a baggy hoodie in front of her classmates, the first time her face was in such danger of being revealed. Did her hands look too feminine? Did the yukata outline her hips too much? She plucked at it anxiously trying to make it seem looser, only succeeding by yanking it out a few inches. Even with it on she felt more exposed than ever, already missing the usual feel of her hoodie. Too bad it, along with her pants, were soaking wet and laid out to dry outside. Besides, everyone wore these at resorts when they went to sleep and such. Maybe this was just something she'd have to get used to.

Nervously she pulled the folds near the chest closer to hide the chest bind and reached up to brush the strands of her wig in front of her eyes, making a curtain that was a bit hard to see through. She sighed shakily before breathing in sharply again, trying to regain her confidence. _I would give anything to just sew a hood onto this thing. If a gust of wind blows in or whatnot I'm screwed. _

Holding her breath, she reached for the doorknob and twisted slowly, barely even daring to make a sound as she peeked into the room. As expected, the guys were there, sitting on their futons and drinking tea while trying to recall what had just occurred.

"So… what exactly happened?" Rin scratched the back of his head, a few drops of water still lingering in the dark locks. "I don't remember anything."

"Maybe we just fell asleep." Shima shrugged. "That could explain why we suddenly woke up leaning against the wall."

Bon rubbed his chin and hummed in thought before yawning lazily. "Don't be stupid, Shima, that can't be it."

"It could be true, though." Konekomaru, now conscious, pointed out. "The heat can really get to some people. We probably stayed in the bath for too long."

_Or you all passed out because you were freakin' DRUNK. _She sighed, leaning against the door and sinking down to the floor as the determination she managed to scoop together melted all over again. _I really can't do this. _

"Oi, Takahiro!" She shot up and would've squeaked if she could at the sound of Bon calling her. "How long have you been in there? Come out already!"

"Yeah, aren't you tired? Hurry up, you never even came into the hot spring!" Rin added.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Shima asked.

"I wonder if anyone brought medicine." Konekomaru said thoughtfully.

It took her a couple seconds to register that they couldn't see her shaking her head. After glancing to her reflecting and picking here and there at parts of the yukata, she brushed the bangs of the wig down until they tickled her cheeks and opened the door. She found herself immediately regretting it and continued holding her breath.

Bon's eyebrows met his hairline. "Hey. What were you doing in there?"

Rin's eyes sparkled as he looked at her in awe, and she wanted to run and get her clothes back already. "Whoa! This is the first time I've actually seen you wearing something other than that hoodie!" At this she curled her fingers into the sides of the purple yukata, pulling it outwards to mask the slight curves of her hips as subtly as she could. Suddenly the floor became a lot more interesting, refusing to look any of the boys in the eye.

"You're okay now, right?" Shima looked worried before putting on a friendly smile.

She nodded hurriedly, practically leaping into the empty futon between Rin and Bon and yanking the pillow off it, instantly hugging it to her middle and staring at it, silently praying to die. Even with clothes on she felt utterly exposed.

Rin let out a loud yawn. "Well, I'm exhausted, so I'm turning in. You guys gonna crash too?"

The other boys were already starting to settle into the covers.

"Way ahead of you." Bon muttered.

She had never been more thankful to go to sleep.

So how she ended up with her pillow wedged over her ears, she had no idea. Needing to breathe, she flipped over on her back, nearly slapping Bon in the face with her hand. The gentle sound of breathing filled the room. Well, only on Konekomaru's side of it. The remaining three boys snored loud enough to wake up the whole town.

_Rrrgh… _She growled soundlessly, staring at a sliver of moonlight that had crept in and wanting nothing more than to just _sleep_, for God's sake. Unfortunately, having two guys on either side of her both threatening to kick her every five seconds didn't quite meet the standard expectations of sleeping. _Why did I have to be put in the same room as all the guys? God dammit… _As tired as she was, there was no way she could ever slip away into blissful unconsciousness with these monsters in the same room.

After another five minutes of pure frustration and nearly taping their mouths shut, she grabbed her futon and dragged it all the way over to the other side of the room, which barely did anything but muffled the sounds a bit more when she turned on her side.

The sandman was just about to sprinkle his dust on her when a gunshot rang deafeningly loud in the night, making her body jerk in shock as she sat up straight, heart beginning to pound faster. It wasn't loud enough to have been fired inside the building, so that meant…

Nobody else was attentive enough at the time to hear the shot. It only took a few seconds for her to grab her still-damp hoodie and a pair of loose-fitting shorts before running out of the room with her sword in hand.

* * *

The bitter cold of night clawed at her exposed skin, and she immediately regretted only wearing a pair of shorts and a hoodie that was still wet. Her knees knocked and her teeth chattered, and she gnashed them together to try to still her jaw, breath held tight in her chest as she lurked from house to house, searching for the source of noise. Yukio was definitely out here somewhere; she'd learned that upon inspection of the room where the staff was staying. He'd been out for several hours. Why? Her brain automatically assumed that he was searching for a target, hence the gunshot, but she couldn't rest until she knew. She cared about him too.

The town looked especially alive at this time, shining more lividly than the Academy lights. Lamps and lanterns shone different colours, casting shadows that nearly made her jump. Even so, she was sure most of the villagers were asleep. Cautiously she tread across the ground, mind convinced that darkness swallowed whatever the light couldn't catch. Her palms were already damp with cold sweat and she caught herself wiping them on her shorts every ten seconds. Her body was what one would call hunter mode; vigilant and ready to jump at the slightest sound.

_Dammit Yukio, _She gritted her teeth, forcing her body to move now as the freezing winter air lapped at her persistently. _Where the hell are you? _

She gripped her sword tight in her palm when she heard a voice in the distance, but it wasn't Yukio's. It was high-pitched, a woman's.

"_Help me!_"

Her legs spurred forward, stumbling furiously towards the person who had yelled, who appeared almost crawling from a path around the corner Chiho was approaching. All she could see was a blur of blue, brown, and white, and another voice resonated loudly.

"Don't go near her!"

She turned.

_Yukio? _

"Get away from her, Takahiro-kun." Yukio nearly growled, gun poised and ready to shoot at the whimpering girl who had fallen. His teal eyes were smouldering, narrowed in focus as his finger curled around the trigger. "She's dangerous." At this the woman backed away on her hands and knees, pupils dilated in shock and utter fear.

She could faintly hear murmurs from villagers and the sound of doors sliding open. She whipped around to his target and felt her heart leap into her throat and her stomach twist.

_My body. _

The next gunshot was definitely loud enough for all the town to hear.

* * *

**A/N: Cliffhanger time :D Wow... this chapter was fun to write, despite how long it took to publish. I couldn't work on it for the past two days so this would have been up sooner! Take my apologies, I failed in trying to make this longer to compensate. **  
（ﾉ´д｀） **Drunk!Rin and company was quite the experience (considering I've never written somebody drunk...) and the whole japanese resort thing required some research. ^_^" But that's okay! We're almost at 50+ follows and reviews so a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who are reading this! I've also been wondering if I should keep a percentage rate of how far into the next chapter I am and I'd have to update it often, but do leave a review or message telling me if that would be convenient. c: ****SIDENOTE: This story will be strictly kept in Kyohei's POV, at least focused on her in third person. Just putting that out there ^^"  
**

**As always, tell me if you liked it and thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate all the feedback and follows! **❤


	13. Cold Heartbeat

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except my imagination and OC belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.**

**ADDITIONAL WARNING: Horrible fluff alert. Read at your own risk of barfing something up. **

* * *

_Cold Heartbeat_

Snow is a mystery.

Why does it fall?

Why is it white?

Why is it cold?

The girl wondered this as she sat outside on the porch of her shared room, the small garden beyond the screen door of the snoring boys inside. Back in the yukata, she drew the thick covers of her futon close around her shoulders, white puffs of breath fanning out in front of her as the flakes showered down and her swinging knees hung off the edge of her seat. Her feet were cold but brushed it off to look at the world around her. She felt oddly serene, considering the turn of events that had just occurred only a half hour ago. A chilly hand left one side of the blanket to subconsciously press against her beating heart. It was slow, unusually calm. The twinkle of stars above only complimented the fluff that was raining down, slowly carpeting the ground with a white blanket.

Normally she would have enjoyed a clear, quiet night with such a full moon. But the memories quickly tackled over whatever tranquil thoughts lingered in her mind. Burying her nose down into the warm haven of the covers, she let the world fade to black as she curled her freezing feet inside. How did all this happen? Just thinking about it made her fall over to the floor on her side, curled up in a confused ball of anxiety. Talk about restless nights.

She was just about ready to fall asleep for the second time when the door slid open and the sound of footsteps vibrated through her right ear. She didn't open her eyes, more or less bother to look. She wanted to be alone.

"Kyohei? What're you doing? Geez…" A sigh ensued before there was a thud, no doubt indicating her visitor had sat down beside her balled-up body. "Don't fall asleep out here."

_Go away. _She hugged her knees even tighter to her chest to try to communicate her bitterness, wishing she had made this a signal with the raven-haired boy the day she suggested the idea. Though slowly, the world reappeared upon hearing a heavy _fwump _and the unmistakable feeling of another thick blanket being piled onto her own. A small corner of her heart said to be grateful, but the other 80% of it contaminated the feelings like poison, rapidly infecting them with hostility. _I never asked to be babied by you. _Once again the stubborn pride took over, the opposite half unsure of how to deal with such gestures of care.

"Here."

Her phone slid across the wooden boards, spinning towards her hand. _Why did you…? _

"You can type on that, right? Talk to me." Rin grumbled, and she had a feeling that he was running a hand through his hair. "Why're you never sleeping these days? You've probably already caught a cold, you know."

The sudden brightness of the screen hurt her vision for a bit and she winced before opening the touch pad keyboard and sliding the phone back over to him, too lazy to sit up and hand it to him.

_[If you have the energy to worry about me, use it to go to sleep.] _Her fingers found the second blanket and tugged it closer to her shoulder, unwilling to leave her spot and even more unwilling to face the thankful feelings.

"You really are stubborn." He grunted in disapproval. "Well, fine. If you're that persistent about me going to sleep, I will." And with that, he stomped back inside, closing the door rather loudly behind him as if trying to tell how frustrated he was; though he was so terrible at masking his emotions it wasn't even necessary.

She nearly punched a hole in the floor when the footsteps thudded back over again, and a gust of air and a thud hit the ground. Clearly miffed, she sat up to look at him and gaped at the sight of her roommate lying down on his futon in front of her, toes nearly touching hers as he rolled over on his side.

"You never said anything about _where _I was supposed to sleep." Rin argued casually with a yawn. "So it's fine if I sleep here."

_You-! _A hot bubble of fire rose in her throat before embarrassment pushed it down. But whether she was embarrassed because of the loophole or because he was so adamant to stay with her, we'll never know.

She rubbed one side of her face with a frustrated hand before sighing and typing another message, to which he caught the phone easily before bringing it to his face.

_[Why do you have 2 blankets?] _

"I stole Bon's." He grinned widely, shoving the screen back to her. For a while they sat facing each other like that, taking turns between asking and responding.

_[Is this going to be a regular thing?] _

Slide.

"What's gonna be a regular thing?"

Slide.

_[You sitting with me at night]_

She quickly deleted the last two words.

_[You sitting with me.] _

Slide.

Cerulean orbs blinked before answering. "Well, I don't really think of it as a thing. Friends sit with each other all the time, don't they?"

Why did that make her heat up a little? Oh, right. Stubborn pride again. She only recently admitted that they _were _friends, after all. Yeah, that was definitely it.

_[Why don't you just go back inside?] _

Slide.

"'Cause. Shima snores way too loud and Bon keeps slapping me in the face. Besides, it's nice out here." He turned his face up to the dark sky, still raining flakes of white.

Slide.

_[Can I ask you one last thing?] _

Slide.

"Yeah, what?" That smile made her feel guilty for some reason.

_[How can you talk to me so normally? Aren't I weird to you? Aren't I freaky?] _She held the phone in her hand for a few seconds, re-reading it over and over again before finally summoning up the courage and just shoving the stupid thing rather harshly across the wooden boards. Immediately her body heated, and the air of the futon covers suddenly became stuffy and hard to breathe. The only thing keeping her from digging herself a hole and dying in it was because this was something she always wanted to know, and she wasn't going to drown in her own self-pity until she got her answer.

Completely caught off guard, her cheeks burned hotly when Rin abruptly started laughing. "Freaky? You? Man, if you tried really hard, I bet you could intimidate a small cat!"

He continued after suffering from an intense nose-pinching session.

"Tch," He rubbed his red nose before straightening his face. "But honestly, no. Why would I? Just 'cause you're a little different doesn't mean you deserve to be _talked _to differently." It stunned her how open and serious he sounded, how casual he could make something like this sound. Again, unintentionally sweet, again at night, again telling her what she somehow wanted to hear. "'Sides, you're my friend." Rin smiled sheepishly before rubbing the back of his head. "I don't really mind talking to you like this at all, actually, it's kinda fun."

_F… Fun? _Of all words, _that _she was not expecting. And when was the last time she had talked to someone so much? Trusted someone enough to ask?

She simply stared in him in awe; never had she met a person like this, more or less knew people like him existed at all. Her world had always been secluded, lonely, and tight, mostly consisting of herself for the past several years of her life. Only then did she realize how small it really was, how narrow it had been all this time. It had been so… sheltered, and she had been so selfish. Slowly she was beginning to learn that there were more problems out there than just her own. And maybe, just maybe, her world grew a little bigger thanks to this guy.

And maybe, just maybe, she found that she liked him a little.

But of course, she didn't know this (or maybe just didn't want to admit it), so we'll just hang on for the ride for now.

Rin shrugged before sliding the phone back and falling back on his futon with a yawn. "Anyway, I don't have a reason to hate you, so I won't. And you called me your friend too."

She drew back in surprise. _Gah! I did! _Finally she sighed in defeat, abandoning the blankets to sit next to him briefly before bopping the side of his head lightly with a fist. _Rin. _

It was as if he heard her thoughts, but he remembered the signal. "Yeah?"

Gently she passed the phone to him, feeling a bit more confident in herself thanks to his words.

_[Thank you.] _

Rin grinned back, eyes smiling with him. "Yeah. Don't mention it."

Quite unromantically, both of them slept on the porch with their toes touching with their heads as opposite sides of an arrow. As she rolled over on her side to stare out at the snow, she no longer felt cold, inside and out.

_This was actually kinda… _She felt herself slipping from reality and struggled to stay awake and find the right word. Finally she picked one out of the recesses of her brain. _Nice. _

What she meant by nice, she'd never know.

Though she was no longer alone and felt more at ease with herself, the memories of what happened earlier still haunted her. She caught herself trembling at the thought of it, feeling her palms start to sweat again. Eventually she did drop off to sleep, but it was troubled and hazy.

* * *

A loud clang echoed in the night, and she felt a vibration run through her arms.

She was never aware of the fact that she could deflect bullets with a sword. And since when had her feet slid across the ground so quickly?

_Why? _A voice in her head asked softly in the utter silence. _I was supposed to kill her. She was going to give everything back if I did. _

_So why am I protecting her? _

Her hood almost flew back, and the sounds of the world around her filtered back in, starting with the high-pitched shriek piercing her ears. Adrenaline was still pumped high in her bloodstream.

Staccato bursts of screams knocked at her brain as her arms fell back to her sides limply, legs wobbling and beginning to melt. She didn't have to look to know that her twin was scrambling to her feet and stumbling out of the scene, never once stopping herself from shrieking as eventually she faded away.

"Get back here!" Yukio yelled, but abruptly stopped his chase at the click of a sword being raised to his neck.

His teal eyes closed as villagers began to file out of their houses, slight murmurs and whispers echoing in the background. "What are you doing, Takahiro-kun? You weren't permitted to leave your resort room."

_Nobody's getting it back but me. Teacher or not you back the fuck off. _She gritted her teeth, previous hesitation long washed away and replaced with steel. She tapped the end of her sword against his neck twice, which no doubt pricked but was an obvious signal: _Drop the gun. _

His arm lowered as well, but his fingers didn't release the gun, much to her frustration. "Are you pointing your sword at your own teacher? That's not a very smart move on your part."

Her fingers tightened around her sword, holding her breath.

"That woman you just saw," He went on before opening his eyes, and she felt her chest constrict at the topic. "She's not normal. I could feel it." Yukio angled his head towards the path she had run down. "There was a chance she may have been possessed by a ghost, but there's something else." His eyes narrowed. "Something about her isn't human."

Her lips parted as if to say, _that's because she isn't! She's a demon who stole my appearance! _But who was she to talk? She clenched her jaw shut.

"I do admit I wasn't taking the best approach." The young teacher sighed as more people glanced around, whispering and wondering who had just screamed bloody murder in the middle of their village before shaking their heads and heading back inside their homes. "She's escaped for now, but I'll see if I can get a hold of her tomorrow."

_That is if you can approach her without her screaming when she sees you. _With a sigh of her own she let her arm drop, still not returning her sword into the sealing tattoo.

"Anyway, we should head back to the resort." Yukio gave her a smile, but it was humorless and not with his eyes. "I apologize for dragging you into this." The smile dissolved. "But don't think this will pass easily. You were not allowed to leave the building without teacher consent. Get some rest for tonight."

She frowned. _In that case, you're coming too. _With a scowl upon her lips she grabbed his sleeve and started pulling him back to the resort, cheeks burning but still colourless. At least that way no one could see the embarrassment.

He didn't complain, but did ask once, voice higher than usual: "Takahiro-kun?"

_Shut up. _She didn't stop moving until they reached their room, but still found herself casting glances behind her to see if maybe, some sort of demon disguised as a blue butterfly was chasing her, trying to steal whatever it was she had left.

Yukio must have noticed her constant head movements and spoke up. "Is something wrong? I don't hear anything behind us." Even though that was what he said, she could've sworn that was the click of a gun just then.

She shook her head, but twisted it behind her to check again, feeling herself start to break out into a cold sweat as her breath came out in heavy white puffs. _What's wrong with me? _She lifted her free hand to press against her face. Despite the cold her skin was boiling and felt feverish. The bottoms of her feet began to hurt from how heavily they were smacking at the ground. The cold air started to become painful against the inside of her throat to the point where even breathing felt painful. Her hand skimmed across her face to press against her rapidly heating forehead. _Am I running a fever? _The first flakes of snow began to rain down but she barely noticed until one of them grazed her nose. She felt an oncoming sneeze coming on and quickly smothered it. _A fever or a cold? Not good… I'm freezing and boiling at the same time. _

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand rested on her shoulder. It was meant to be a reassuring gesture, though the hand quickly turned into a fist, rubbing at the fabric.

"Takahiro-kun?" Yukio said, surprised. "Why is your hoodie still wet? And you're wearing shorts. You'll catch a cold."

_Shut up and keep moving. _She wished she could've said, world beginning to teeter at her feet and blur around the edges. Her legs felt like icicles, and she hazily wondered if she had suddenly been warped to a frozen tundra, or if she would ever make it back to their room. Her heartbeat dulled and pounded slowly in her ears.

_I won't make it, _a small voice in her head whispered. _You won't make it, Chiho. _

The voice was right, because before she could take in what was happening to her body the ground came spiraling dangerously close to her face. She could barely feel her chest hit the ground and her hand slip from Yukio's sleeve before everything went black.

When she regained her vision, she was wrapped tightly in a black Exorcist coat on her futon, loud snores still filling the room.

A hand curled and uncurled loosely as her head lolled to the side lazily. She could still see the sleeve of her hoodie in the darkness. She shifted slightly; her legs from the knee-down rubbed against the surprisingly warm jacket, so that meant he hadn't bothered to undress her, thank God.

She pulled the ends of the coat closer, breathing in the scent of sweat, laundry detergent, and… rain? She couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was uniquely… Yukio. Maybe she could fall asleep like this.

Yeah, if she wasn't sweating buckets at the moment.

She was about to kick off the jacket, but thought otherwise. It was strange. It wasn't as if he was in the same room, but this gesture was special to her somehow. Throwing it off so rashly would be rude. So instead she slowly sat up, unwrapped herself from the warmth of the uniform, and folded it as neatly as she could in the dark. _Thank you, Yukio. _

Still dizzy, she felt along the walls until she managed to get into the bathroom with her yukata in hand.

That's the story of her crazy night.

The next day, however, is a completely different story.

* * *

The sensation of late morning sunlight was so calming against her skin. It was almost enough to take away the numbness of her right arm, having slept on it for most of the night.

Oh, wait.

The warmth was a hallucination.

It was actually freezing.

Her body felt as light as a brick and her cheeks… well, she couldn't even feel her cheeks anymore. Curling her legs up desperately, she yanked the two blankets above her nose, feeling some warmth start to circulate back in them. A loud sneeze erupted from in front of her and she nearly shot up. It took her a few seconds to recollect what was going on when she saw a mop of messy blue hair. The curled-up blob's feet were no longer touching hers, and after a few sniffles returned to what seemed to be a peaceful sleep.

She lifted one hand out of the blankets and sat up, feeling the cold prick at her skin already. Curiously she slid over on her rear next to Rin, watching intently. His messy hair was spread out all over his face and pillow in the most demented halo he'd ever seen. Loud snores rumbled in the back of his throat and tumbled out from his open mouth. _He's a really deep sleeper. _

With a silent sigh, she reached over and dragged one of her two blankets over the sleeping body. _Since you did that for me and you won't be waking up anytime soon, _she rationalized.

For a while she just stared somewhat blankly at him, wondering how someone could even sleep with such ease and peacefulness. It was completely beyond her. She shoved down the devilish urge to tie his hair into pigtails and get a thick black marker and observed her surroundings from the porch. Not a speck of white was to be seen; all the snow had withered down to nothing and left a gray sky in its place. She found herself a bit disappointed that no snow had been left on the ground, but her gaze shifted back to the sleeping boy in front of her knees. Occasionally he would mutter something along the lines of 'thassa big squid' and roll over, threatening to pull the corners of her lips upward.

Her mind didn't remember thinking of what to do next; it just happened. She reached out when he turned over on his back and curled a lock of his surprisingly soft hair around her finger and momentarily forgot the cold biting at her cheeks and arms.

What happened in that moment? Something inside her must have melted, but why? What was different about this boy? What made him stand out from all the rest?

She didn't know.

Since she was positive he was asleep, she shifted slightly so that his head was almost on her knees. Experimentally she flicked a strand of hair off his nose. He barely moved.

_Tell me, _a tiny voice echoed in the recesses of her mind, the only voice she had. _Tell me why you make me act like this. _

Somehow her hands ended up slid behind his ears, holding his chin with a touch so light it may have tickled to just have them there. Her heartbeat was cold yet warm, slow yet fast, sparking more flares of curiosity within her because of the close proximity. The usual front she normally put up around herself had completely disintegrated, leaving a dazed and confused girl in its wake. But why?

Sitting on her knees, barely daring to even take a breath in fear of waking him, raven locks tickling the back of her hands. Her eyes would've closed right then if she could make them. She could feel the winter air sinking into her pores and strands of her wig fall in front of her face as she slowly leaned down, ever so slowly, and the voice appeared again:

_Tell me. _

A ray of light danced on the floorboards next to her knees, but she barely noticed. Holes began breaking through the clouds, greeting the villagers and their homes with early morning sunlight. Even so her attention was completely trained on Rin, a boy who had her feelings mixed up in a giant mess inside. She wanted to know.

_Tell me why. _

Their foreheads were only inches away, the most intimate and bold gesture she had ever made towards another living soul. She didn't know why she did. She just knew she had to. The tips of her hair brushed against his forehead, making him mumble some obscenity.

_Tell me why you make me so confused… _

His pulse beat in a steady rhythm against her fingers, pressed lightly against his skin, which was obviously warm. So warm to the point of feeling hot. This close she could smell the familiar scent, feel the ridiculously warm aura radiating off his body. It was all so uniquely… Rin. Still muttering whimpered protests, he reached up with a hand subconsciously. Soon after a rough warm hand presses on top of the one under his chin, batting at it lightly as if to make it go away because it tickles to have it there. But she's not letting go.

Three inches. Two inches. One inch.

He's so warm. The girl wonders if maybe she could fall asleep again like this.

_Tell me. _

"Takahiro?"

And the world just about shattered.

Their foreheads collided roughly, definitely leaving a bruise as teal orbs snapped open. In an attempt not to throw herself under the floorboards and die, she tackled Rin and forced him into a choking headlock as the screen doors opened and a sleepy Kyoto trio stepped out. She mentally uttered every swear word she knew at them, not sure why she was so upset.

"Kyohei," Rin choked in her grip. "What the hell are you-" She tightened it, cutting off his breathing and causing him to smack at her hands to try to get her off.

"You two… What were you doing out here?" Shima asked with a yawn.

Konekomaru pushed his glasses up further. "Don't tell me you slept outside all night! Aren't you cold?"

Bon slapped a palm to his face with a heavy sigh. "The hell is wrong with you two? Anyway, stop screwing around and get dressed. We've got a ghost to hunt."

As the boys picked up their bags and started changing, she kicked Rin away from her, stomach twisting and head angry at her confusion. What was she thinking?

As Rin coughed and started yelling, she cut him off by yanking his nose to the point of ripping it off, sure she would be blushing if her cheeks could flush. She shoved the door so hard into the wall it probably cracked somewhere and stomped inside the room, mind swirling with foreign emotions.

Dashing into the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face until she was shivering.

_Dammit. _

* * *

**A/N: *dies***

***insert long-ass apology of why I haven't updated here***

**I'M SO SORRY. (Wow, I'm saying this a lot recently.) Summer is over in a few days so I've been busy, plus I received a nasty guest review that kind of discouraged me from writing for a while. But I'm back now, so not to worry! Usually after one chapter update (again, I'm sorry that this one is so short and uneventful and filled with fluff that I didn't know I could write so obviously it's horrible) I take a 2-day break from writing then start again. I was actually worried about updating this after so long! Is this chapter boring? Is it too short? Did it answer the questions I was hoping to answer? Is the progression too fast? But I don't want to leave you guys with nothing before school starts, so here you go, but please note that depending on how the school year is for me updates might be a bit slower than usual. I'm sorry! And please remember that this story isn't over until I say so, even if updates are late! **

**Other than that, it's come to my attention how popular this story is growing, and it's really flattering, really! Over 50 follows and reviews and 30 favorites? I'd never have guessed this would be so successful when I first published this! I always smile when I see one person following or favoriting each day and get super excited when I see a new review. I'm so happy that people actually enjoy what I write, so just a quick thank you to everyone reading!**

**This is probably the longest AN I've ever written so I'll stop it here. Please review and tell me how you liked it! More fluff is sure to come. I love all of you reviewers and followers! **


	14. Blind Shot

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except my imagination and OC belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.  
**

* * *

_Blind Shot _

Things happen.

Things like going to haunted hot springs, pushing away feelings you didn't know you had, catching ghosts that lurk inside lamps (shadow spirits, as they're called), and eating a _lot _of takoyaki. Things like having to wear a ridiculous rabbit mask and cracking the bottom of it to lift up whenever she ate and having a Secret Santa party with the other Pages. (A stuffed octopus is now added to her collection of weird things.)

And now that it's all over, let's come back to the spring semester of True Cross Academy, featuring Murakami Chiho and her newly-made… friends? Acquaintances?

Anyway, back to the story.

* * *

She sighed. _Spring is so annoying. _

Now, she didn't think this for no reason. But the wind always blew a little stronger in spring and made a bunch of cherry blossoms get all up in her wig and try to rip her hood off. Allergies and all didn't make anything better. What was the point of cherry blossoms anyway? They just blow around and make people sneeze and… and be pink. Yeah. Not to mention they clog up a lot of the ground and track a bunch of brown withered petals up into their asylum baby dorm. Brushing them out is such a pain.

But at least the weather was beginning to warm, the seasons starting to meld and turn into summer. She enjoyed the warmth spring brought, but as if she could stand wearing a thick hoodie all the way through summer. She still hadn't figured out what to do about it, but it could wait.

Her shoulders hunched closer together and she vaguely wondered if she was ruining her posture before asking herself why she cared. She'd caught herself clamming up like this whenever Rin was walking next to her. If he didn't keep pulling her back she'd most likely be on the other side of the hallway by now, legs having made her unknowingly float farther and farther from him. It was like those frustrating times when you were trying to get your backpack to stay upright and it kept falling over until eventually you just got annoyed and threw it against a wall. Put shortly that wall was Rin. What was making her fall over definitely wasn't gravity, though.

The final verdict of her thoughts could wait too.

"Kyohei."

Her spine shot completely straight, hands popping out of her pockets and fumbling with the front of her hoodie in an attempt to mask the startled gesture with nonchalance. She forced herself to look up at his face after sucking in a deep breath and letting it out, trying not to sound too frustrated. _What? _

Rin quirked an eyebrow, fingers playing at the strap of his bag in boredom. "What's up with you? Have you been listening to anything I've been saying?"

She slid her phone out of her pocket and tossed it to him.

_[No.] _

"Dammit, would it kill you to _listen _to me for once?" He groaned, to which he received a slug in the shoulder and a half-smile drawn out of her. A small 'ow' slipped from his mouth before he hit her back, mumbling something along the lines of "You punch way too hard".

They spent the next couple minutes walking down the hall and punching each other until their arms were black and blue. She decided then that she liked this relationship they had right now, though there was still no telling why she kept floating away from him. It felt comfortable most of the time, but when they were alone, she was finding it harder and harder to stay neutral.

"_Ouch!_" Rin yelped after a particularly rough punch and wound his arm back to prepare one of his own. "Alright, take _this-_ huh?"

She squinted down the hallway, seeing a blob of pink and yellow in the distance. A silent agreement ensued, both students jogging until they reached the blonde on her hands and knees on the ground.

"Shiemi?" Rin called, making her perk up in surprise. "What are you doing down there?" Chiho knelt down to help pick up her bag before Shiemi quickly yanked it away, refusing the help as she stood and slipped her geta back on.

"N-Nothing!" She failed to lie before making her way back down the hall, thick sandals clicking as she went along.

"Huh?" Rin hummed before raising an eyebrow and looking down at her. "What do you think that's all about?"

_[What's it look like? She fell.] _

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" He snapped before ruffling his hair. "But… I dunno."

"I just feel like something's gonna go wrong."

* * *

_Something's gonna go wrong… huh? _

She leaned her chin further into her palm, twirling her pencil with the opposite hand. Rin seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to her. Not that it mattered to her. She was kind and honest and frankly quite cute. It was no surprise how popular she was amongst the other Pages. Not that that mattered to her either. In concerns regarding to Shiemi, she wasn't too close to her, especially since they'd bumped heads on the first day of school. But even so, she'd been watching. Watching to see how she eventually came to be a bit more social, want to make friends with the other students. Honestly it wasn't going too well at the moment, but she wanted to see her develop much like the flowers she loved growing so much.

"Now, we only have six weeks until the summer break." Yukio said at the front of the room and snapping her out of her thoughts. "Before that you will have your Exwire authorization exams."

_Exwire. _Her chin lifted out of her palm in realization upon having remembered the term. _The class above Pages… One step closer to a fully-ranked Exorcist. _

"A squire?" Rin asked, adjusting the clip that held up his bangs. "What's that?"

"It's Exwire." Shiemi quietly corrected him. "It's the name for Exorcist candidates." Rin hummed his understanding in response.

Yukio held up a stack of papers. "If you become Exwires, you'll have more practical training, so the exam isn't going to be easy." She gulped. "Therefore we'll be going on a week-long training camp next week." A collective "eh?" rang through the classroom.

"Training camp?" Her roommate echoed in surprise. Since when did they hold training camps here? Well, considering the fact that having magical keys that could teleport a human body was as normal as breathing, training camps really were nothing special here.

The teacher crossed over to the desks to slide a sheet of paper to the students. "The training camp isn't compulsory, so please mark down your attendance and what field you want to advance in as your Meister on this form. You have until Monday to hand it in."

_Meister… knight, dragoon, aria, doctor, tamer… what _is _all this? _She stared at the paper blankly for a few moments, slowly writing down her name to give off the image that she totally knew what she was doing.

"Meister? Field?" Rin sounded utterly confused, though she couldn't say she was much better herself. She scolded herself for not writing down the things Uncle told her about becoming an Exorcist.

Rather than just asking his own brother, Rin grabbed the paper and shoved it into the faces of the Kyoto trio and asked rather bluntly: "Hey. What's a Meister?" It was easy to tell he was embarrassed about having to ask.

"Huh?" Bon said in disbelief. _Well, obviously you know, since you're so serious about it. If you really want to get him to go away, just tell him. _Despite her having just thought that she angled her head to look at the boys properly.

"Uh… Tell me." He added awkwardly, arm falling to his side. A muttered 'please' tumbled out of his mouth before he clenched his jaw to silence himself.

"You want to become an Exorcist and you don't even know something like that?" Bon snapped, the crease between his eyebrows crinkling up again from the ever-constant glare nearly plastered there 90% of the day. "You're taking this too far!"

_Well, we can't all be athletic prodigy Kyoto genius heirs like you. _She shot a glare of her own at him even though she knew he couldn't tell.

Shima just laughed, putting her at ease a bit upon hearing the sound. "You really don't know anything, Okumura-kun."

"There are people like that too, you know…" Rin grumbled, scratching the back of his head before stomping over to Chiho and literally yanking her out of her seat by the arm to pull her over to the group. "See? Kyohei doesn't know any of this stuff either, do you?" Refusing to admit, she pushed the heel of her palm into his cheek to push him away.

After prying him off, Konekomaru began to patiently explain. "Meister is a necessary qualification for Exorcists. It's a title given to those who are skilled enough. Knight, Dragoon, Tamer, Aria and Doctor are the five classes. If you get the title in at least one field, you become an Exorcist." Throughout the clarification Rin had taken a seat next to the bespectacled boy and she had planted herself on the edge of the table, careful not to sit on his paper.

"I see." Rin looked at the sheet a bit more carefully with a clearer look in his eyes. "I think I get it." She nodded to let them know she understood too.

"Who said you could sit down?" Bon muttered.

She almost laughed. _Rin's that kind of guy who would take a seat anywhere even if you told him not to. _

"And the fighting style of each Meister is very different." Konekomaru continued.

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Konekomaru." Rin grinned widely at him, eyes smiling with him. It was kind of cute, but not that it mattered. "What are you taking?"

"Shima-san and I are aiming for Aria." He answered.

"Aria?" He took a closer look at the paper to look for the name.

"Arias fight by reciting the Bible and other holy scriptures." He filled in for him.

"Bon is overdoing it again, he's taking Aria and Dragoon." Shima said teasingly. _He is? _She turned her head to him. _Well, I guess it's just amazing to him since Shima has the attention span of a caterpillar. _

"Huh, that's amazing, Bon!" Rin complimented. Unfortunately it backfired with an angry, "Don't call me Bon!" To which Rin didn't react to at all.

Konekomaru quickly turned the conversation around. "By the way, Okumura-sensei is a Meister in both Dragoon and Doctor, too."

A shine of pride and admiration sparkled in his eye. "He's amazing." Teal orbs rolled up to the ceiling in thought and she briefly wondered if he would hurt himself from thinking too hard. "Hm… what should I take? To begin with, what's a Dragoon?" A hand reached behind his head to ruffle the hair there.

Two fists slammed onto the desk, startling Rin and nearly making her fall off the table. "Ah, geez, you're so annoying! Dragoon Meisters fight with guns. Knights fight with swords." He explained it as if he was teaching a toddler how to add one and one together.

Shima laughed again, making her momentarily forget her anger. "Look how Bon's acting all tough but explains it to him anyway."

"Shut up!"

Rin blinked. "Did you just say sword?"

Konekomaru laughed awkwardly. "Yeah. Like Bon said, Meisters that fight with swords are Knights."

"Then I'm taking Knight." Rin decided, newfound zeal in his eyes. His determination was somewhat contagious; now she was inspired to work hard for the title too.

"Speaking of which, you always have a sword with you." The shorter boy pushed up his red frames.

The raven-haired boy smiled again. "Yeah, it's like a keepsake from my dad."

She would've blinked too. It was true that Rin was always carrying around that sword with him wherever he went, but she realized then she'd never once seen him actually unsheathe it. Maybe she was just being nosy, but it seemed a little weird that she'd never walked in on him practising with it if it was so important.

"What about you, Takahiro-kun?" Shima asked her. "What are you going for?" She pointed at Rin in response. It was true that she wanted to make the most of her sword, but it was only because she couldn't memorize things and she was secretly afraid of blowing her foot off with a rifle.

"Oh, right. You have a sword with you too." Rin said, eyes widening a bit. "I saw it that time when you saved Shima."

"It's from a sealing tattoo, right?" Konekomaru asked. "Can we see?"

"Well, I've never seen one." Bon looked away, pretending not to be interested.

She willed the heat to go away from her cheeks. She'd wanted to keep it secret since the fact that she kept a sword inside her body wasn't the most appealing thing for a boy to know about. Wait, _why did she care? _If they wanted to see the sword, she'd show them.

She took a quick breath before rolling up her right sleeve, exposing the masked skin of her wrist before turning it over. Her skin literally looked like death, and she had to grip her arm to keep from tugging the sleeve back down. White as snow, as if never having been graced by sunlight. She never noticed until then how it seemed to glow eerily under the light. Due to the contrast between the two, the blue tattoo was shockingly dark against her skin. It started at the end of her wrist and ran all the way the upside to the inside of her elbow.

"Whoa…" Rin breathed, and her fingers tightened around her sleeve, unsure of why they were so astonished.

"So that's what they look like." Bon's eyes were wide, uncharacteristically so. "I've heard about them, but having one is rare."

"Has it been there since you were born?" Konekomaru asked, dumbstruck.

"Amazing." Shima added dumbly.

_What's with you people? _She wanted to say.

"Can I touch it?" Rin pointed at it in awe.

The second his sentence finished her sleeve was already pushed back down. _No way. _She already hated her own body enough as it was. Having someone touch it was the last thing she wanted. Not while she was a monster like this.

_Soon, _she told herself as she successfully filtered out Rin's interrogation and flurry of 'why not's. _Soon, it'll change. I'll become a Knight. I'll make the cut for Exorcist. _

Her fingernails dug into her palms.

_Soon. _

* * *

The scratching of chalk on the green floors was the only sound in the room. Intricate lines, designs, every swish and scratch skillfully drawn and contributed to the circle in the middle of the floor.

"I will now summon a demon." Neuhaus announced to the class, who was gathered around. Did it really have to be so big?

Rin took a step forward, to which the teacher harshly said, "Don't step on the drawing! If the magic circle is broken, it loses its effect."

She raised a hand to her chin in thought. _That's an awfully big disadvantage. Are there really people who can fight like this? _

Neuhaus lifted an arm over the circle, revealing bloody bandages wrapped around his hands and possibly all the way up his arms. He unwrapped a layer and cut his fingernails into his palms, coaxing blood out of the existing cut on his palm through the bandages. "You need blood and the appropriate chant to summon a demon."

Four drops of crimson dripped off his fingertips, landing messily onto the circle. "Son of Typhoeus and Echidna, heed my call!"

Just as his words ended, smoke immediately began to circle and rise from the perimeter of the circle. A warm air blew out of nowhere, threatening to blow back her hood as their clothes ruffled and a sour smell floated in the air. All the students gasped and leaned forward in wonder. She fiddled with the small paper in her hands, trying not to crush it in anticipation. Maroon-coloured lumps started to boil and take form from the middle of the circle, molding into limbs and ears and eventually a body that _somewhat _resembled a dog. She refused to call it a wolf and therefore disrespectfully compare the lump there to her beautiful spirit animal.

A low growl emitted from the mouth of the demon as the smoke cleared and a paw came down in the midst of it. Soon it was exposed for all the students to see. It looked severely lopsided. A grey-looking tongue hung out the side of a jaw that was misplaced too far to one side of its face. Half of its limbs were crooked, and stitched patterns aligned its entire body from head to toe. Large lumps popped up from its back looking as if they were about to burst like bubbles.

_Absolutely disgusting, _was the only thing that came to mind when she first laid eyes on it. Despite the revolting sight, she found herself unable to look away from the demon she'd just seen fabricated in front of her.

"So this is a Naberius?" Konekomaru was the first to speak.

"This is the first time I've seen one." Bon's voice was a bit higher than its usual tone or growl.

"It reeks of sulphur." Shima covered his nose with a hand and winced as she did the same. It stung slightly to breathe it in.

Throughout the summoning Neuhaus kept his hand over the demon. "There are very few people who can summon demons and use them as familiars. A strong will is necessary to tame demons. This can't be learned; you must have the talent."

_Talent? _A small spark ignited within her. _Talent and strong will… _She barely held back a smile. _Sounds like it could be made for me. _

"Now we will test if you have that talent." He continued.

"Test?" Rin echoed, turning to look at her with confusion evident in his eyes. She shrugged and stared a little closer at the Naberius he had summoned, warily taking in the details. It was still, still to the point of being a corpse. It certainly smelled like death. Even though the circle was right there, she didn't want it to suddenly leap and maul someone. Her chest tightened at the possibility and put her guard up.

"Put a drop of your blood on the paper with the magic circle I gave you earlier." Neuhaus instructed, holding up said paper. "After that, say the words that come to your mind. If you are successful, you will summon a familiar."

They went around the circle; Kamiki was first. It took her less than a second to prick a finger, spread it on the paper, and soon the same warm wind blew in the classroom.

"I humbly call upon the Gods of Harvest." She said clearly and carefully, almost as if she were tasting each word and relishing the flavour. "Follow my wishes, and leave none unfulfilled!"

Two beams of light that almost resembled mist flew out of both papers in her fingers, bursting like fireworks and forming two nearly-transparent ghost-like fox spirits. Red and blue scarves adorned their necks as they diligently sat down in front of their new master.

Her eyes would've sparkled, but mentally shook her head. No. Foxes were different from wolves.

But still… a wolf spirit… _That would be awesome! _

Rin communicated her excitement for her, diamonds sparkling in both his and Shiemi's eyes. "Whoa, what is that? Amazing!" He glanced at her with a wide grin. "Isn't it?"

_W-why are you asking me? _Her brain stuttered before giving a quick nod. _It's not as if my opinion matters, or you need to ask for a reaction… _

"Two spirit foxes at once. Well done, Kamiki Izumo." Neuhaus gave his praise looking about as happy as a rock.

"Amazing, Izumo-chan!" Paku gave her happy input as well before staring disdainfully at her own paper. "I can't do it at all."

The praise from both made her pride skyrocket, and you could nearly see the sparkly aura surrounding her. Oh, how special she thought she was. A smug smile formed on her lips. "It's only natural, I'm the descendent of a shrine maiden!"

_Yeah, and I'm the descendent of a man and a woman, did you have a point? _

Bon glared at the tiny paper as they picked up their needles. "Damn, I can't do it."

"Neither can I." Konekomaru frowned before both boys looked at Shima for confirmation. The strawberry-head simply chucked sheepishly and shrugged.

_Okay, wolf spirit, let's go! _She couldn't contain her excitement as a small drop of blood formed and pressed it onto the paper. _Wolf spirit wolf spirit wolf spirit wolf spirit wolf spirit-_

Her thin smile fell.

_What the fuck? _

"Ow!"

She turned her head to Rin, who had squinted at the prick. "Geez! I stabbed myself too hard!" _That's because you're supposed to _poke, _not stab, dumbass. _Regardless of the giant stain he left, it didn't work for him either. "Damn," He grumbled, biting his thumb to lick away the blood he drew out.

After getting her roommate a band-aid, she trained her gaze on Izumo. Every time someone failed her smile just got wider and wider. It made her wish even harder that her wolf spirit had just come out of the paper. Oh, how special she must have felt.

The circle ended with Shiemi, who excitedly put her paper in the air. "I-I'll try too!" She announced to everyone before following suit.

"Come, come," She hummed before giggling at herself. "Just kidding." A few seconds of disappointment followed, and she guessed that no words were coming into her head. Shiemi opened her mouth to sigh when suddenly a bright green ball the size of a baseball popped out of the circle.

The ball burst, an aura and smell of flowers wafting around it to reveal a small gnome-like man wearing a leaf hat. It seemed to have the exact same texture as that of a bush. It squeaked happily before floating down and landing on the paper. Shiemi's whole face lit up with joy at the sight of the little creature and a small poke of jealousy tried worming its way into her heart. She'd been through so much. She'd thought she would have at least enough talent or a strong enough will to have a familiar of her own, but for some reason Shiemi beat her to it? It didn't make sense.

She mentally slapped herself. _Be happy for her, _her mind scolded her. _She doesn't have a sword like you or doesn't look physically strong enough to handle a gun. A familiar is a good balance for her talents. _Chiho pushed her lips into a tight smile for her, trying to look reassuring. But there was no extinguishing the bitter feelings completely, leaving a small ember inside her: _Why her? _

Neuhaus held his chin, observing the familiar closely. "It looks like a Green Man spirit. Splendid, Moriyama Shiemi."

She tried not to scowl at the spirit. _Well, I guess he's more surprised she could do it than Izumo. _

At the thought of her she turned to see her crimson eyes narrow slightly and bristle, the uniqueness having been destroyed by another person.

"H-Hello." Shiemi said to the familiar awkwardly, unsure of how to talk to it. It chirped happily in response before the blonde suddenly spoke up to Izumo, trying to get her attention. "H-Hey, Kamiki-san! I could summon a familiar too!"

Chiho winced. Not the best approach to take if you're looking to strike up a conversation.

Obviously she struck a sore spot, since her eyes flashed for a second before falling back to its usual, uninterested front. "Wow, so amazing! It's as tiny as a bean and so _cute!_" Her voice was laced with bitter sarcasm and though she was a frequent user of it herself, Chiho felt like punching her in the teeth just then.

"Amazing? Cute?" She thought Shiemi would faint from happiness. "Thanks!"

She inwardly sighed, refraining from slapping her forehead. So there were such innocent people in this world.

"Looks like we have plenty of Tamer candidates this year." Neuhaus cut the chatter short. "Tamers who can fight using summoned demons are rare and highly valued among Exorcists. Demons never obey someone weaker than themselves. On the contrary, they attack those who have lost their confidence." At this Shiemi reached up and plucked the spirit from her hair. "We'll be fine, right?" She said reassuringly.

"As I told you earlier, if the magic circle is broken, the bond will break and the summon will disappear." He continued, re-wrapping a layer of bandages over his hand. "So if you feel yourself in danger, just tear the paper." At this he smudged the chalk with a foot, causing the Naberius to burst into ashes and dissolve into the air.

Chiho frowned. _I was right. There are a lot of disadvantages to being a Tamer. _

The bell chimed, pulling the students out of their trance. "Today's class is over." And with that, Neuhaus walked out of the room.

Shiemi turned back to the Green Man in her hands. "I don't want to erase you." She told it before giving a sweet smile. "Can I call you Nii-chan?" The spirit had no objections, smiling back and raising a bushy hand in response.

She tried not to glower at the floor, still bitter about the wolf spirit.

The girl could tell Izumo was bitter about it too, because she stomped over to her desk, grabbed her bag and said, "Let's go, Paku." For a moment she pitied the brunette for having to be dragged along by a girl like her. Why were they even friends?

She and Rin met up with the Kyoto trio, chatting for a while until they left the classroom together. Looking down the hallway, she could see Shiemi happily trailing behind the two girls. Obviously something had happened, and Rin noticed it too. "Huh? What's that?"

The rest of the group stopped to look too. "Looks like Shiemi became a follower of Miss Eyebrows." Rin said disapprovingly.

She silently snickered at the nickname. _No, wait. Those aren't eyebrows, they're guitar picks. _

"Miss Eyebrows?" Konekomaru asked.

Shima just laughed again. "Heh, that's Kamiki-san, I guess."

"They're just playing." Bon sighed.

Chiho didn't like the way Izumo kept laughing to Paku and completely ignoring the blonde's presence. Was that her bag she was carrying?

Rin didn't seem to like it either. There was no hiding the worry in his eyes.

* * *

"Will you hand these out?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Could you prepare my valeriana for the next class?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Melon bread. Fruit milk."

"Mm-hmm!"

That was what a lot of the week consisted of leading up to the training camp. She caught her fist twitching a lot more often than usual and wrote it off as a bad sign. She needed to hurry and punch something before she bit the inside of her cheek again.

On the day of said camp, Rin sat next to her outside of their dormitory, eyebrows twitching in aggravation. "Hey… Shiemi's totally turning into her servant."

To save her phone battery, she pulled out her sketchbook, Rin leaning in to read.

_[If you know, shouldn't you tell her?] _

Rin sighed. "I know, but being liked and having friends is probably all new and exciting for her. Who am I to ruin it?"

Her lips twisted into a scowl.

_[Well, she's not going to stop it herself.] _

"What do you _want _me to do?" He snapped, making her cringe at the severity of his voice. "If I tell her the truth she'll just start crying! I can't stand it when girls cry!"

Her fingers paled from gripping the pen too tight.

_[You're just as big of a liar.] _

"Oi-!"

She was already up and standing beside Yukio, refusing to look him in the eye.

"Calm down, you two." Yukio scolded. "The rest of the students will be here soon, so please just try to get along until then."

"Tch." Rin glanced away, body hunching over from where he sat. Guilt nearly emanated from him as he sighed, trying to cool down. "By the way, why's the training camp in our dorm?"

"Because it's no problem if we get a bit loud since we're the only ones living here." Yukio answered coolly. "It's just practical for everyone."

"Good morning!" Shima's voice energetically rang out from the group of students arriving at the dorm. She smiled upon hearing him but waited for the inevitable reaction:

Bon's face paled staring at the building. "What is this thing? It looks like a haunted hotel."

She almost laughed. _No. An abandoned asylum and hospital slasher movie gave birth to this thing. _

"I don't like it; it feels creepy." Izumo scrunched up her face in disgust. "Couldn't we go someplace nicer?" Paku shushed her quietly, smiling a bit.

She wanted to smile too. She knew it was totally wrong to think so, but she did anyway: _Serves you right. _

The dash of sweet revenge fell when she quickly turned to Shiemi, practically throwing her bag at her. "Oh. Take this." As usual the blonde did nothing but smile and obey. Rin mumbled some obscenity under his breath curtly.

"Moriyama-san. If you don't tell her you mind…" Paku whispered to her, trying to intervene.

"Huh? Oh, but I don't mind." Shiemi seemed to be all smiles now that Izumo considered her a 'friend'. "I'm helping out a friend."

"Ah… I see." Paku still frowned though, and she caught Rin staring at them. So that's what was going on.

* * *

Her brain felt broken. Some sort of firework of absolute joy must have exploded in her heart when Yukio finally announced hours later, "Put down your pens! Turn your papers over and pass them to the front, please!"

A combined sigh flew out of the students as they leaned back. She had to refrain from stretching out her legs and kicking Bon's by accident, so she settled for reaching her arms up, loving the sensation. That was enough of that. Studying for only two hours was probably a bad idea. She didn't even want the test back now, afraid for the results.

"Finally, it's over…" Shima sighed in relief, leaning back on his hands.

"It was so long…" Konekomaru added, wiping his glasses on his shirt. Was he sweating?

Rin stood up, wobbling a bit. You could practically see the steam whistling from his head from thinking too hard. "I'm going outside to enjoy the night wind a bit…"

"Yeah. Go and cool off." Bon suggested as he stumbled towards the door.

"Tomorrow we'll be waking up at six." Yukio announced, tapping the papers on the desk to even them out. "We'll have a short quiz covered by this test."

Her stomach twisted. _He's absolutely evil… _

Rin groaned in pain, catching onto her thoughts. "He's a demon, seriously…" Seeming to have forgotten about their argument hours before, he turned his head to her. "I'm gonna go get a drink. You coming?"

She stared blankly at him, not even aware of the fact that she must have looked like a gaping fish. But still; as long as she didn't have to pay for the drink she was fine with it, so she picked herself up, stretched, and followed.

Five minutes later they walked down the hallway, wandering aimlessly as she enjoyed her strawberry milk and he enjoyed his banana milk. It was still blissfully cold, letting her cool off from the inside. It was refreshing to feel it go down her throat.

Her lips pressed together in a thin line, trying not to make eye contact. _Is he mad at me? _At the thought of it her feet started carrying her farther and farther away, mind messy once again.

"Oi, Kyohei."

She nearly jumped five feet in the air at the sudden noise, turning to look at him.

"You don't have to walk so far away!" He burst out from the other side of the hall, looking flustered. Eventually she did return to his side, though there was still an arm's length of space between their shoulders.

"Sheesh." Rin muttered. "What's with you?"

A few seconds later they came up to Shiemi, who was facing the door to the girl's bathroom but not entering. Why wasn't she with the girls?

"Shiemi." Rin spoke up. "What're you doing?"

There was a short pause before she answered, pivoting and getting ready to leave. "Nothing. I gotta go buy some fruit milk." Chiho could tell she was forcing her voice even, and a shadow covered the eyes that refused to meet Rin's. The clicking of her sandals was the only sound for about two seconds before Rin's hand latched onto her wrist, stopping her movements but she didn't turn around. "Hey!"

No response.

"Stop that!" Rin firmly said, eyes narrowing.

"Stop what?" She meekly asked.

"That! You're not her servant! It's weird!" They both knew he wasn't necessarily angry at her; she just had to be selfish sometimes. It was a quality she lacked; and finally Rin had indirectly pointed it out. It was satisfying.

This time Shiemi argued back, turning around to face him. "I'm not her servant! She's my friend and I'm helping her!"

Her body heated up. Maybe she felt embarrassed on her behalf, or maybe it was because during moments like these she could do nothing but watch. But she trusted Rin enough to get the main point across to her: that this isn't what true friendship is built off of. They both understood that.

"You're _not _helping her." Rin forcefully told her. To some people he may have been being too hard on her, but she thought it was necessary at the time. This was something she needed to get through her head, no matter how harsh. "Is that really what you think you're doing?" Shiemi's head tilted toward the ground, unable to look at him any longer in guilt and shame. "It's not, right?" His tone softened by just a notch.

Chiho stepped forward and pulled his wrist gently; the signal for him to stop. But in this case it was more of a _'that's enough'_ kind of signal. She should've understood by now. She couldn't tell if Rin remembered the meaning behind the gesture though.

Shiemi's voice had softened too, so much so it was just a hushed whimper. "I don't want to stay behind others' backs and depend on their help all the time." Her wrist lowered slightly. "I just want to…" She trailed off, biting her lip. After a moment's silence she raised her head, eyes burning and tone sharp. "To become strong enough to help someone else for a change! She's the first friend I've ever had in my whole life!" Chiho gulped. She didn't like where this was going. Shiemi sounded like she was about to either burst or cry.

"But you're strong and you've always had friends, you wouldn't understand!" Her voice sounded like it cracked as she shook free of Rin's hand and ran off down the hallway. She and Rin simultaneously reached after her.

"Hey, wait!" But it was too late; her clicking sandals echoed down the hall. She wasn't coming back.

_Ahhhh. You made her mad. _She sighed silently and slipped her hands into her pockets. She turned her face up to Rin to try to communicate: _What now? _

Rin closed his eyes and frowned, lips pulling together tight into a pout; he was obviously contemplating what to do. Refusing to let it end like this, he let out a grunt as he ran after her, stubborn as ever.

It didn't take long to catch up to her. But the second Rin had grabbed onto her collar and yanked her back; Shiemi was just about to protest when two high-pitched shrieks of terror erupted from the direction of the girl's bathroom.

The trio snapped towards the sound, a shiver of alarm going down her spine.

"That sounds like Kamiki-san and Paku-san…" Shiemi noted, voice trembling some.

Rin's hand automatically slipped from her kimono, sprinting towards the bathroom at full speed. "I got this! You go get Yukio!"

_Rin! _Her mouth fell open as she reached after him. Adrenaline began coursing through her blood, panic causing her mind to fall apart.

_What do I do? _Her body broke into a cold sweat. One half of her knew she had to go after Rin. But at the same time, Shiemi… She couldn't leave her alone. She'd only just received a familiar a week ago! Such a little spirit couldn't possibly defend against whatever was in there. If anything she might've been giving Rin another thing to protect at the wrong time. _Shit, _what should she have done?

Her brain re-booted just as Shiemi started going after him too.

One foot stepped forward. One foot stepped back, lingering between the line of helping or getting her teacher.

She gnashed her teeth together.

_Yukio! _

She lost track of time. Her mind could no longer even calculate seconds properly due to the rage of swirling emotions and panic attacking her brain. Was her eyesight even connected to her brain? Because all she could see were blurs of beige and grey, the entire backdrop around her having transformed into a demented watercolour of horror. The only things she could hear were her feet smacking against the floors and a small voice echoing in her mind: _Left. Right. Turn right again to reach the room. _

No, that wasn't all. There was another voice amidst the existing one.

_You're a coward._

_You're a coward, Chiho._

_You're not getting Yukio because you think he can help._

_You're running away because you're scared. _

Her feet began to trip over each other, stumbling and her heart leaping into her throat more than once. Every time she would simply press her fingers against the floor and push herself back up, refusing to stop, fueled by both fear and alarm. And maybe it was also because she wanted to prove that voice wrong, to make it stop talking.

It didn't.

She wished then, more than ever that she could speak. So she could scream for him, tell him everything so he would understand. If anything she just wanted to scream. Scream out everything she ever felt.

She couldn't.

Her chest heaved out pants as she nearly kicked the door open, making everybody in the room jump and turn towards her.

The world started spinning, faces distorting. Her vision wouldn't focus properly. "Takahiro? What's wrong?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Takahiro-kun? What's happening?" Yukio stepped up to her, worry evident in the teal orbs. "Is something wrong?" He stepped forward, she stepped back. He reached out for her shoulder, she flinched and jumped away.

She opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She realized it then; she couldn't explain. She couldn't do anything. A wave of guilt washed over her. Was she always going to be like this? Unable to do anything except be a bystander as people got hurt in front of her?

She bit her tongue and felt nothing at all, tasted nothing at all. No. No, she refused to keep herself this way. She was going to change things, and she was going to change it herself, with her own hands.

It took her less than two seconds to sprint back down the hallway she had come, leaving four men behind and confused.

She remembered nothing about running back. Felt nothing, saw nothing, thought nothing. Empty.

She burst through the door, vision trying to adjust through the vertigo stirring within her. The only thing she could register was Izumo on the floor, in her underwear but uninjured, Shiemi reaching for Paku who had some sort of burgundy stain on her face and arms. The room reeked of sulphur, only adding to the nausea beginning to well up inside her. The déjà-vu sensation didn't connect with any leads of her short-circuited brain at the moment.

The unmistakable sound of shattering glass pierced her ears, along with a cry of pain. Her head snapped to the source of noise and saw a two-headed Ghoul heading towards Rin, who looked as if he had been thrown right through the sliding door.

Stitch patterns, sulphur, a dark tail… The familiar scene refused to fully resurface in her mind. All she knew was that she had to kill it. It had hurt Rin and her classmates.

_O Spirits of Wolfsbane_

_I humbly call upon thee_

_To beckon you by my side at once_

_Give me your beauty_

_Give me your wisdom_

_Give me your courage_

_Grant me the strength to overcome the trials ahead_

_So that this world may become paradise._

"Rin!" Shiemi cried from where she sat in front of the injured girl. Why did the demon seem so interested in only Rin? Two girls were right beside it, but why did it completely ignore them? Was it targeting him?

"Don't come here!" Rin yelled from the tiled floor.

_The tail, _the voice told her frantically. _The tail is a weak spot of a demon. _

She wondered hazily if it was too late already. Rin couldn't draw his sword. The demon had him pinned by the neck. Paku would die from the Spirit Wound inflicted on her. Wouldn't it just have been easier to give up on everything?

Her grip tightened around her sword. No. She _was _going to change the outcome of this!

Her feet slid across the wooden boards, sword in both hands. Raising it high above her head, she brought it down behind the demon as hard as she could.

She could feel it pass through something thick before a deep howl emitted from the Ghoul. The same burgundy liquid burst from the injury as its black, pointed tail slapped onto the floor, completely detached from its body. The Ghoul's body arched inward in pain, twin heads writhing in opposite directions.

Something boiling hot splashed onto her left cheek, but she completely ignored it. Rin? What about Rin? It still wasn't off him yet. Choking sounds and something ripping in the background was all she could hear.

_Draw your sword, idiot! _She wanted to scream. She even opened her mouth until her sword slipped from her hand and something that felt like a sack of bricks slammed into her gut, causing a spew of saliva to fly from her mouth and her body to sail through the air until she crashed against a wall. The breath was completely knocked out of her, hazy voices calling for her and the world blurred. It took her a few warped seconds to realize she'd been kicked by the Ghoul.

Breathing hurt. Her chest stung with every breath. Something acidic was burning into the skin of her cheek. It hurt everywhere. She vaguely thought she would die.

How she fainted to the sound of gunshots was beyond her.

* * *

"Kyohei… Kyohei!"

_That's not my name. _A voice mumbled and body completely disoriented. It sounded so far away. _My name is… Chiho. _

"Dammit, wake up! Yukio! Something's wrong with him!" A hand shook her shoulder roughly, making her head loll back and forth.

Her head slid against the wall she was leaning against. _I'm… so tired. _

A warm hand slapped both her cheeks, making the burnt one sting harshly. "Kyohei! Can you hear me? Hey!"

_This voice. _She remembered. _Rin. _

The almond-shaped slits opened right away. _Rin-!_

Was shirtless.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake-"

He immediately took a foot to the gut.

_Where the hell is your shirt?! _She tried standing up and nearly melted, vision still blurry and body burning with embarrassment. _I-I mean, I did end up getting dragged into the hot spring with you, but it's different because you're awake and all and-! _

She took another step and fainted.

* * *

**A/N: Phew! Longest chapter so far! I got this chapter updated a lot earlier than I thought I would since school started and all. That means I won't have as much time to work on this, so please bear with me! I'll try to do my best! In return, have a longer chapter. xD **

**So, yes. The next few chapters will follow the anime, and I'm still going to have to decide if I'm going to read the manga or not to get fully caught up. I hope that isn't a bad thing!**

**I don't have a lot of time to upload this, so enjoy, and please leave a review if you enjoyed it, it means a lot to me and gives inspiration for future chapters!**

**Thanks so much for all the new follows and reviews! It makes me happy to see an e-mail alert! Thank you for reading! **


	15. Breaking Point

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except my imagination and OC belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.**

* * *

_Breaking Point_

It's white everywhere.

It smells like nothing, looks like nothing. In fact, the girl wakes up feeling as though she is completely made of and fabricated from nothing.

Simple commands float aimlessly in and out of her mind. Inhaling and exhaling. Breathing. Opening and closing eyes that weren't there. Blinking. Feet landing on a white ground and wobbling until she's upright. Standing. Putting one foot in front of the other. Walking.

_Where am I? _

She keeps walking until her feet come to a stop. When she looks behind her she can't even tell if she's walked two steps or not. Why _did _she stop, and why _did _she start? She couldn't figure out the answer. Instead a hand floated in front of her and pressed against a cool glass wall that was clear as day and stretched on into infinity.

_I see, _she thinks. _I must be in prison. Or maybe Hell. _

Her head tilts to the ground, staring at her feet and the white ground on the other side of the wall. She lets her vision blacken; it's not like she's missing anything to look at. She wonders if maybe she'll be stuck here forever, though surely she'll go insane. With no noise except for her footsteps and no human presence, anyone would lose their minds here. Though maybe that's what she deserves for being such a disgusting disgrace of a human being. No, that's not even enough to describe herself. She's a monster.

The world reappears upon hearing lighter footsteps come towards the wall. _Who's there? _

Time slows for a split second. The wall in front of her is glass but it may as well be a mirror.

Her body stands there in a white sundress that fans out all around her and no shoes on. Her skin is slightly tanned just as she remembers it. Beautiful violet irises shine in the light that seemingly comes out of nowhere. A thin smile adorns her lips. It almost looks like she's hurting too until her eyes smile with her, a tiny giggle shaking her body and causing her thigh-length hair to bounce with the motion. Her bangs fall in front of her face, well in front of her eyes but part enough to see them perfectly. If she had the power to, she'd cut it.

She opens her mouth as if to say something but nothing comes out. Blinded with greed and yearning, she grabs for her but her hand simply retracts off the glass wall. Red spots appear in her vision as she angrily pounds and slaps at the glass, refusing to give way. Through it all her twin simply watches with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling sadly at her. Chiho recognizes that look. It's pity. It's like watching a spider spin a moth into its web, and yet the moth keeps struggling until its final breath, until the final flap of its wings. You know it can do nothing but be eaten, but it doesn't stop fighting. And as she is eaten by the predator, the beautiful, vibrant butterfly everyone envisions as perfect flies free from fear.

_Give up, _she knows her body is whispering on the other side. _Please just give up. _

She knows she should. As her hands turn red and raw and scraped, she can't help but know somewhere faintly in the back of her mind that there's nothing she can do. Everything she ever wants is right in front of her and taken away again. She knows this is how it ends every time. But something keeps her from falling; there's something that tells her, _no, keep fighting_. In fact, if she could, her eyes would be filled with tears of frustration and shame. Maybe it's an instinct for wild animals to keep resisting until the final breath. If so, it's long been built in.

Then the strangest thing happens. A thin, dainty hand reaches right through the glass and curls around the bottle hanging from her neck as if the wall was never there to begin with. Her four-leaf-clover. She is so paralyzed by the turn of events that she doesn't even oppose the gesture until the string keeping it connected to her neck falls loose. As suddenly as it happens, the hand retreats with a four-leaf-clover in a bottle in tow. Her mouth hangs open in utter shock, mentally interrogating herself as to why she didn't move when she did. She should've grabbed the hand, done _something. _

_Say something! _She begs with another slam of her hand. _Please, say something, ANYTHING! Tell me how to get you back! _It sounds ridiculous even in her own head, begging her own body to come back to her. But it's almost as if her body's been possessed; it's like another person entirely is inside there. And that's probably the case.

The girl on the other side of the glass simply giggles again, like she's teasing her. Mockingly she waves the bottle next to her face before running away and leaving her speechless. Light thumps echo in the vast whiteness. Fair, walnut-coloured hair bounces and flies around her until her silhouette is barely gone.

Bitter blood takes over her taste, unsure of where it even came from. Her teeth grind together so hard something must have snapped.

_Let,_

She punches a fist into the glass, finally seeing a crack begin to break through.

_Me, _

Another slam of the fist and the crack widens noticeably, ragged patterns bursting over the wall.

_OUT! _

The sound of shattering glass is deafeningly loud against the silence and she's not sure which hurts more, the silence or the explosion that rattles her ears. She cringes and her hood falls back, but she doesn't fix it. The invisible floor under her gives way as she flies through the air, using an arm to shield her face from the shards of shimmering glass threatening to pierce at her skin.

She's not sure how long she falls for. But the second her feet hit the ground, arrays of colours stretch on like chasing shadows, painting a world all around her and transforming the white backdrop into that of a normal sidewalk and empty shop windows.

_Where…? _Her head turned left and right trying to make sense of where she was. A whole world had just been painted right in front of her; everything looked so real. When she turned to a shop window it was completely black inside, reflecting her in her fallen hoodie and slacks as usual. Luckily her wig had stayed on, but…

She takes a step forward and stops. Standing several feet away is her twin, bottled clover still in hand and playful smile on her face. A small fire begins flaring within her. Fine. If it's a challenge she wants, it's a challenge she'll get.

Though maybe the challenge is on her since she's inviting her to play tag and she's it.

Another foot comes down on the tiled sidewalk when someone materializes beside her, bumping her arm as she passes. She turns sharply to see a man who is literally coloured grey head to toe, skin, clothes, hair, everything. His eyes are empty. He looks like a ghost even in his suit and briefcase in hand.

Somewhat put off by the image, she pushes past only to have a woman in a double-breasted coat and long skirt appear on her right side this time. Her skin prickles, set on edge. What's happening? With every step another person comes into view.

Her pace changes from a walk to a jog, trying to sort out the thoughts pounding in her mind. People keep appearing beside her; but if they were ghosts wouldn't she have passed right through them? And yet their arms keep bumping into hers, and she definitely trips more than once. Her twin doesn't move from where she stands.

She's almost there, still trying to step over the commuters' feet and avoid their bumping arms. There's only a few feet left-

Until her body starts running.

It's almost like she's personifying her whole life in that moment. Everything she ever wants is running away so quickly she can't even hold on or be dragged along; just chasing after it aimlessly with helpless desire.

The ways she runs is unnatural. The movement is fluent enough; her hair still bounces and her dress still fans out around her, but every time her bare foot hits the ground she zips at least five feet farther from where she was supposed to have stayed. How is she doing that?

She wishes she had enough time to pull out her sword and just _slice_ all the bystanders away from her. The fact that they keep appearing right in front of her and pushing her arms back and making her trip honestly doesn't help anything.

Her brain goes into overdrive. She can feel the blood pounding in her ears. It hurts to heave out harsh, ragged breaths from her chest. Her casual jog quickly escalates into a frantic sprint, arms circling in front of her constantly every time she trips, which is often. Her fingers sting from having the skin scraped off them from the pavement. She doesn't even realize that it's raining until the freezing drops crawl down her neck and the red on her fingers is smudged. Her arm reaches further out in front of her, though she doesn't even know _what _she's reaching for at this point. It's not like she can grab her at this distance.

Farther and farther away she goes. Right as her twin turns her head sideways to give her a mischievous smile, her foot catches on another man's shoe. Except this time she doesn't react fast enough and falls on the cement, knocking the wind out of her.

For a moment she lays there on her stomach, watching the rain fall to the ground and splatter in an explosion of smaller drops. _Isn't it just easier to stay here? _She wonders hazily as her chest struggles to keep her inhaling. And there, for the first time, she gives up. It feels weird knowing she's given up fighting considering how long she's been doing it for. Somewhere deep down she knows she hasn't completely given up on it; there's a small fire inside her that refuses to be extinguished. Even then, it lingers within.

A sudden, harsh itch in her chest triggers a coughing fit, and she covers her mouth with a hand as it passes and shakes her body with it. She flinches when she feels something warm in her hand and lifts it away.

A large splatter of ruby red blood sticks to her palm, dripping off and diluting with the rain. She can do nothing but stare in horror as a warm trickle of crimson trails out the corner of her mouth.

Bare feet splash towards her, and she helplessly looks up at her body towering above her with a pitiful look in her eyes again. Eyes the colour of lilacs blink away the rain, drops of it entangling in her long hair. She kneels down and smiles, and for some reason this causes a shiver to go down her spine. It seems so out of place, much too happy to see someone cough up blood.

Her twin wraps her arms around her knees in her crouching position, looking far too fascinated. She was looking at Chiho the way a child would stare at a caterpillar crawling over a branch. Innocently she blinks her long lashes and _oh, _how badly she wants those lashes back. She doesn't stop smiling.

_Say something, _Chiho mouths, desperate and delirious with hunger. Somehow her body feels ten times heavier, as if she's stepping out of a pool of drying concrete.

Her body reads her lips perfectly and smiles, eyes upturning in an eerily cheerful manner.

"Your body's breaking, isn't it?"

* * *

"H-Hey!"

Her rear came into contact with a wooden floor and the world reappeared again. Her chest was shuddering as she sucked in and heaved out heavy breaths. She'd felt like she'd just ran a marathon and then proceeded to die. She grabbed a shaking wrist and pulled it into her vision; clear of any blood. What? What just happened? What was that supposed to mean? Her body was breaking? Whose body? Where was she? Her head spun with unanswered questions as the world flew in and out of focus. She slapped a hand over her mouth to hold back the sudden urge to vomit.

"Oi, Kyohei! Get a hold of yourself!" Two warm hands took her cold shoulders, squeezing tightly and shaking, trying to pull her back to reality. "Dude, you're hyperventilating!"

He was right. Her hands came up to grip his wrists, weakly trying to pry him off. _Go away… just leave. _Was hyperventilating an understatement? Was she having a mental breakdown lacking screams?

His touch felt foreign. She could have been hugged by a teddy bear and it would still trigger a bodily jerk as if an alien were trying to cut her open. Rin was no different no matter how familiar they were with each other at the time.

_No, go away. Go away! _A drop of sweat cascaded down her face and back. _I said just LEAVE! _As she thrashed angrily in his grip, he continued yelling words that wouldn't register in her brain. After a moment's struggling and a string of silent screams and curses, she gave up and sank her teeth into his hand hard enough to draw blood.

"_Oww!_" Rin yelped, and through her blurry vision she could see beads of red begin to form on the back of his hand as he jerked back. With a low growl and teal eyes smouldering, he pulled a fist back-

And punched.

That wasn't the first time, though she'd been hoping it would be the last. She wasn't expecting to be spoiled; she was pretending to be a boy, after all. At that moment when the world was whirling and beginning to rip at the seams, she wondered what she had ever done to deserve this.

It literally took a blink's time for her to end up on her side on the floor. She'd considered getting up and punching him back but fell back to the ground, feeling whatever pride she had left melt into a sad puddle of mush and unsaid words. She was pretty sure there was a bruise on the right side of her face now but paid no attention to it. She could've sworn an invisible tear was trailing across the bridge of her nose as she lay there unnaturally still to the point of death. Why was she even fighting anymore? If what her twin said was right, she wouldn't have long to live anyway. It would just be easier to die while she knew it would happen. Regardless of the situation she didn't fight back, weakly flopping back onto the floor. She was completely drained from the struggle.

After shaking his hand and hissing quietly, Rin knelt down next to her and propped her up against him, pulling her up and tugging one of her arms around his shoulder. Her feet dragged across the ground, too tired and deflated to even move her legs forward. Carefully he started walking without a word, and set her onto the bed as if she would break under her fragile state. How the hell a punch had knocked the fight out of her, they both had no idea. Her head lolled to the side lazily, staring at the wall and not at him.

A moment of complete vulnerability passed as Rin threw her blanket over her. She swore to make it up by never depending on anyone for at least a month after this.

Though for the moment she was busy passing out for two hours.

* * *

Don't get her wrong; she would've much appreciated twelve more. But her sleep was dreamless yet filled with nightmares at the same time. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched and deteriorating with every second of her life. It felt wasted, like she could never take another breath without further killing herself. So for the next two hours she floated in and out of sleep, never quite falling off all the way. It was frustrating. Everything was.

Her head pounded and weighed approximately the weight of a bowling ball. Something stung her cheek and it took her a while to realize a bandage was over her left one while her right cheek stung from being punched. Great. Now her whole face hurt. Her body was clearly unstable and wobbly; she had no clue how she had managed to fight Rin just moments before. Now that she thought about it, how embarrassing she must have looked. Sweating and shrieking silently and thrashing and biting his hand. It made her want to either apologize or curl up into a ball and die for acting like a three-year-old throwing a major temper tantrum. It was so surreal. What had happened in that moment? What did Rin think, seeing her in such a humiliating state? He must have pitied her too, and she hated it. She had the sudden urge to never see him again. She pounded a fist into the mattress, though her arm quickly fell to jelly and collapsed back into the blankets.

Not wanting to roll over, she blindly reached an arm behind her to look for a pillow to crush herself into when her hand brushed against a cool object. She pushed it too hard, though, and ended up shoving it onto the ground with a loud clatter that she winced upon hearing. What was that?

A wail of alarm nearly made her jump out of her skin as something else fell onto the ground too, but a lot heavier and rougher than whatever it was that just fell.

It took a lot of unwanted effort, but she finally managed to roll over on her side to see Rin dressed in a yellow t-shirt and shorts rubbing his spine with a groan of pain. She had to try several times before the world focused properly. The sky was a palette of purple, slowly turning to black as time passed and cast shadows all over the room. The lights were off, but a chair was in plain sight. Well, the chair had toppled over along with Rin, and that was definitely a notebook and a pen on the ground.

Rin looked up at her from where he sat on the floor and his face suddenly straightened, looking completely serious. Since when could he look so mature?

"Have you calmed down a bit?" He asked, picking up his pen and notebook before dropping himself back into the fallen chair.

She nodded even though it sent a million needles spiraling into her brain. With a silent groan of her own she rubbed her temple, wincing. Headaches hurt like a bitch.

Rin reached down and scooped her phone off the wooden floors; so that was what fell earlier. He looked like he was about to throw it before he frowned and set it on her stomach instead. Surely a clear signal of his own: _start talking_.

She winced again at the flash of the screen against her vision. It took a couple seconds for her to notice her hands were shaking. Apparently she was more crippled than she thought.

_[What happened?] _Her roommate scooted his chair closer so she could easily pass him the phone.

He sighed, threading a hand behind his head. "Let's see. Where to start?" Crossing his legs, he rested a chin in his palm while using the other to slide and unslide her phone. Maybe he had itchy hands like her. "The Ghoul in the bathroom got away when Yukio came in. But it's weird 'cause this school is supposed to be surrounded by charms and barriers to keep demons out." His brow furrowed. "So I don't get how one could have gotten in."

_The Ghoul. _She remembered, stiffening a bit where she lay. _If one couldn't get in, then that could only mean that… _She frowned. _It was released from the inside? A sabotage? _Even thinking so hard hurt her. Her head suddenly felt ten times heavier as it fell back to the pillow before her mouth fell open in shock.

Snatching her phone away from Rin, she quickly tapped in another message before almost throwing it back at him. He fumbled to catch it and brought it to his face.

_[What about Paku? Is she okay?] _Could he read her uneasiness? She hoped not.

"Oh, right." He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, she's fine. She's injured, but Yukio says she'll be okay with a lotta rest. That's why he's not here now. You only got burned on the cheek, but he was worried for a second she wouldn't recover if her injuries weren't treated right away." Her chest deflated from letting out a relieved sigh. Good. She hadn't died. Rin laughed a little awkwardly and pointed at her cheek. "That's only a temporary bandage I stuck on you. Yukio'll be back soon to actually treat it."

She touched said bandage, feeling herself burn up on the inside. Great. Not only had he punched her and she'd given in, now she'd let him baby her again? _Ugh_, this was _so _embarrassing! It hurt, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of touching both the bandage and the punched cheek.

"Enough about that, though." His face straightened again. "How about you? You feeling okay?"

_Far from it. _She wished she could say, slapping a hand to her forehead and sighing. But worrying him was the last thing she wanted to do, so:

_[Stop worrying already. You look constipated when you are.] _She wasn't motivated to get out of bed, more or less keep moving her hands. But Rin was here, so she'd make an exception. She tried to lighten the mood a little bit.

He frowned. "Hey, that isn't funny. Are you always gonna say that whenever I give a damn about anything?"

Regrettably, she was a little stung at the severity of his words. She tried not to look hurt about it since showing weakness was something she was not going to do for several months after what had just happened.

It hurt, but she managed to pull herself up into a sitting position. She leaned over and slugged him in the arm, hard.

"Ow! Seriously, first a bite and then a punch? You trying to kill me?" He yelled, rubbing his sore shoulder.

_[That was the signal.] _

Teal orbs blinked. "Eh?"

She pursed her lips in annoyance.

_[It means I'm sorry.] _

"Oh. Right." He blinked again before looking at his bandaged hand. "Nah. Never mind. I'm sorry too." Rin grimaced at the memory as he curled his hand into a fist. "I… shouldn't have hit you. You're my friend and I shouldn't have done it."

She fiddled with her phone in her lap for a bit, leaning against the wall as she slid and unslid it repeatedly, trying to figure out what to say. Why did she have to be so socially awkward?

_[It's okay. You had to do it. I guess we're both to blame.] _

"Well, yeah, but…" He muttered. "Still. Sorry about that."

They sat there in awkward silence for what felt like an eternity.

"Just…" Rin started but trailed off, brow furrowing as he stared at the ground too intently.

_[What?] _She tossed the phone to him.

He took a deep breath before his cheeks flushed _just _the tiniest bit. He sat up straight and put his hands on his hips, shutting his eyes.

"A-Anyway, just trust me a little more. We're friends and all, so you gotta depend on me sometimes too."

She stared at him for a bit before typing another message. Again?

_[I already think I depend on you too much.] _

"Ah, whatever. I don't really mind either way. If you depend on me, then you trust me. That's good enough." He nonchalantly waved a hand before smiling. "Yukio should be here soon, so you should get some rest. I don't want to keep tiring you out. See ya."

As he stood up to leave, she grabbed his wrist. _Wait. _

He turned. "What?"

_[Sorry you had to see me like that.] _

A flash of concern crossed his face before he gave her the biggest, most reassuring smile she'd ever seen.

"It's okay."

She wasn't sure it was a good thing that her heartbeat doubled tenfold.

* * *

She slept all through the rest of the day until her alarm rang at six the next morning. But it seemed as though a certain maroon-eyed girl wanted to show her gratitude to Rin as well. She didn't interfere and sat on the stairs as they talked until Yukio interrupted. Only then did she leave her eavesdropping spot to see Paku, though her body still felt a bit weary and stiff from the aftershocks of slight miasma. She deemed herself well enough to attend class anyway.

After injecting a dose of medicine into her arm, Yukio began gathering his things together. "In two or three days the fever will go down and you'll be able to get up again. Get some rest for now."

A poke of guilt wormed its way into her heart. Even though she hadn't been there at the time, she could have died. It was a relief she hadn't, but she couldn't help but feel like she was partly to blame.

Her gaze shifted between Paku and Izumo. The latter looked especially disappointed in herself and she didn't know why. Had something gone wrong with her familiars? Why was she not fighting that time? It was stranger the more she thought about it, though she knew better than to ask. It had shaken both the girls considerably.

"Thank you very much, Okumura-sensei." Paku thanked her teacher as he started to leave.

"Get well soon." Rin smiled.

A light blush dusted her cheeks as she smiled. "Thank you, Okumura-kun." Chiho couldn't help but notice the happy look and how her voice raised an octave or so. At least she felt a little better by hearing the words; Rin seemed to have that effect on people. They took their leave soon after, knowing that the girls needed to talk.

"What was that demon yesterday?" Rin asked as the trio walked down the halls.

"We're investigating how it got in and where it went right now." Yukio answered. "It was a high-level Naberius."

The lead wouldn't connect in her confused brain. _Naberius? And from the inside of the school… _Something twisted in her gut. The situation didn't feel right.

"Didn't you say this Academy is protected by barriers and charms?" Rin argued, bringing up the point he'd made last night.

Yukio smiled, a teasing tone tinting his voice. "That's right. I'm really impressed that you remembered."

Rin glared at him, dead serious. "Are you making fun of me again?"

"That's true, but every now and then such beasts can sneak in." Yukio replied seriously this time. His eyes hardened, obviously not taking the case well. "We have to brace ourselves just in case."

_Yukio… _It seemed as though he was shaken by the event as well.

There were still several hours left before classes started, so she got changed into her uniform after realizing she'd lost sight of Rin.

_Damn, where'd he go? _She wondered as she splashed some water on her face, being careful not to douse the fresh bandage on her cheek.

After a few minutes of aimless wandering, it hit her.

Clambering up the stairs as fast as she could, she turned her face up to meet the azure sky dabbed with clouds. Slipping her hands into her pockets, she casually walked towards the raven-haired boy lying on his back with his arms laced behind his head and an uncharacteristically serious look in his eyes. She wanted to ask what he was thinking about but took it back.

_I knew it. _She sighed, and quickly snuck a foot under his waist to flip him over like a pancake since he had totally spaced out.

With a loud yelp his face hit the ground and rose up to look at her just as fast. "Oi, Kyohei! The hell're you doing?"

She gave an over exaggerated shrug as if to say, _I don't know, what _am _I doing? _

He yawned and rubbed the back of his head. "You're taking this whole abusing me thing too far." She gave him a sly half-smile in return. _That's what I do. _

Since he wasn't making any move to sit up, she did the opposite and planted herself down next to him, staring up at the sky again. One hand moved to take her phone out of her pocket.

_[What were you thinking about?]_

He blinked. "What I was thinking about?"

Her fingers hovered over the keys.

_[I could tell because you looked like you were hurting yourself]_

She deleted that.

_[I could tell because you looked like you were constipated]_

No, he didn't like that.

_[I could tell because self-harm isn't good] _

No, that's too serious. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Since when did conversing with this guy have to be so hard?

_[Don't hurt yourself.] _

This time he slugged her in the arm, making her topple over a bit. "Since when did you turn into Yukio?" She wasn't sure why, but this whole conversation made her giggle, though silently. She clapped a hand over her mouth straight after, burning up in embarrassment. Why was she suddenly smiling so much?

Unfortunately, this didn't go unnoticed by Rin. His jaw fell. "H-Hey, are you… _laughing_?"

"Dash gray!" He said nasally as his nose was being fiercely yanked. "You _do _have feelings!" At this she tugged harder. _I know I look weird, but that's just rude. _

At that moment, someone else padded up the stairs.

"Takahiro-kun? Rin? What are you doing?" Shiemi exclaimed as she made her way over with an apron on and a heavy-looking basket of clean sheets in her arms.

Her hand slipped away, leaving Rin to hiss and rub at his red nose. "Nothing, alright? Anyways, what're you doing up here? Is that laundry?"

Frankly Chiho was not surprised at all.

It took less than thirty seconds to have all the sheets hung up on the racks to dry as the trio held them down against the breeze. She found it aggravating since she had to keep the laundry from flying away and keeping her hood on at the same time. Finally the wind died down and the sheets fluttered down as well.

Rin let out a sigh of relief. "But… why are you doing everyone's laundry?"

She noticed then that Shiemi's cheeks were slightly flushed. "Well, because I want to be of some help too." The blonde knelt down to the basket to grab two clothespins and carefully clip them onto the sheets. "With things only I could do." She reached her arms out to straighten the blankets.

_So now you're a housemaid? _She wondered, but passed her up another pin which she gratefully accepted.

"…Too?" Rin echoed.

"You're all working hard to become Exorcists and help people, right?" Shiemi fiddled with the clothespin briefly before clipping it on.

"Oh. So you don't… want to be an Exorcist?" Rin asked, confused. _You might as well, since you're in the cram school… All your training would be for nothing. _

She stopped momentarily, resting her hands on the sheets and looking down with worry in her emerald eyes. "I don't know." She quickly recovered, though, and gave them both a sweet smile as the wind tousled her hair. "But first, let me do my specialty- laundry."

Rin flushed and muttered a "Y-Yeah," as Chiho picked up a clothespin and opened and closed it repeatedly, needing to move her hands. She wondered if she would ever be able to smile like that again.

Too bad she didn't know it was because it would be fun to make Rin blush like that.

* * *

"Most of ze demonz 'ave a so called le "fatal verse" words or quotes zat will make zem le die instantly." The teacher warbled. "Aria specializez in the memorization and le recital of zose fatal verses."

Chiho wished her eyebrow could've twitched. _I can't understand this woman at all. _

She scanned the classroom; all was as it should be. The same moths fluttering around the lamp above her, Rin and Shiemi occasionally talking or giggling at the front of the room. Shima trying to read some dirty magazine by hiding it on his lap, Bon and Konekomaru discussing what to buy for lunch. But today something was obviously off with Izumo. The lack of her best friend was the biggest hole, but there was something else. The aura she gave off was… lonely and bitter doused with guilt. It was easy to read and even easier to tell she was trying to hide it. She had no idea what had happened between the two, but she still pitied her; not that she would ever tell it to her since she would definitely take it the wrong way. Izumo was a lot more like her than she thought.

"Zen let's 'ear you recitez what I gave youze for homework." She went on, snapping her out of her trance. _Crap! That was homework? Though I can't recite anything so it's fine as it is… _

"Kamiki-san!" Chiho cringed. _Bad choice. _

There was no response from her. She was clearly disoriented, and more than ever she wanted to ask just _what _had happened the previous night that could cause her to space out so much.

"Kamiki-san!" She repeated, this time getting her attention as all the students turned to the unresponsive student. "What's wrong with you?"

She bolted up from her seat, embarrassed. "Y-Yes! Um…"

"Ze 'Te Deum'." The teacher instructed impatiently. "Continuez from where we were le last time."

"Right." The crimson-eyed girl took a deep breath and concentrated. "Every day we thank Thee. And we praise-" She stopped abruptly through the second sentence, eyes snapping open. "We praise…" Her voice softened to a weak, vulnerable tone. "We praise…"

"Yes?"

"I… I forgot." Izumo begrudgingly admitted, turning her face down to the floor to avoid the gazes of her classmates who had all turned to look at her at the same time.

"Oh, now zat is unusual for you, Mademoiselle Kamiki." The teacher trilled, obviously not making the situation any better by her shock. She turned to the other half of the room. "Zen, Suguro-kun, 'elp 'er out."

"Yes." Said boy stood up and closed his eyes after taking a deep breath. "Every day we thank Thee. And we praise Thy name forever, yeah, forever and ever."

She cringed again. _Is that even how it goes?! _

The rest of the words flowed out perfectly: "O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us." Throughout the recital everyone turned and gaped in shock at how easy he was making this seem, especially Izumo. She'd just been shown up by a guy she didn't know and he wasn't even trying. "Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame."

"Zat was le perfect!" She warbled from the front of the class, and the duo at the front clapped in amazement.

"Amazing! I was so surprised." Shiemi praised him politely after the bell went.

His chest seemed to have puffed out, cheeks reddening with him. "Be careful not to fall for me now…"

She snickered silently. _Yeah, right. _

"You're really smart after all!" Rin added, eyes wide as dinner platters. She snickered again since she knew where this would go:

"After all?! Whazzat supposed t'mean?!" He demanded, sweet demeanor completely flipping everyone the finger.

Konekomaru laughed from his seat next to him. "More than being smart, Bon's just good at memorizing."

_Memorizing: Life skill number one. _She mentally noted.

The corner of his mouth lifted in delirious anger. "So Konekomaru, that means I'm _smart_, right?" She was afraid of where that raised fist would punch next.

"Y-Yeah!" He choked out, forcing a smile.

A sarcastic mutter floated from one side of the room. "Memorizing isn't that great of a skill." Without looking she knew but did anyway; it was Izumo refusing to look anyone in the eye to try to cover up for the fact that she felt defeated.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Bon shot back before a challenging smirk crept up onto his face. "I don't wanna hear that from someone who can't even recite four lines!"

How many times was she going to cringe today? _Oh, God, why did you go there?! _

There was an angry smack of a hand on the table before she stood up, maroon eyes narrowed and burning holes in his face. "It's not that I can't remember, I chose not to!" _Second-hand embarrassment alert. _"Aria are totally defenceless while they're chanting so they need to protected by their _party_." She said in a sing-song tone. "They're nothing but baggage!"

Chiho gripped her book tighter, trying to ignore it and trying not to punch them both in the face.

Bon took it to offense a lot harder than she expected, eyes snapping open as he stood up and started walking; his two childhood friends could do nothing to stop him in the midst of his rampage. "What?! We're aiming for Aria, you know!"

Both students walked up to the front of the room to face each other, and she had a bad gut feeling someone was gonna start bleeding soon.

"Oh, how scary!" Izumo seemed to specialize in this kind of sarcasm. "If you want to hit me, then go ahead!"

_This is so immature. I'm better than this. _She told herself over and over, trying hard now not to tear the pages out of the textbook.

"I really can't stand you." Bon spat. Rin and Shiemi seemed focused on their studies too, but it was only a matter of time before that ended. "Don't laugh at people's dreams!" A huge palm slammed onto the table, making Rin drop his book and choke on his spit in shock.

"Ah, that thing about defeating Satan?" She almost laughed. _When was that brought up? _"I don't know about you, but when I hear a joke as stupid as that I laugh!"

"Then what about you?" Bon retorted. "Why do you wanna be an Exorcist? Go on, tell us!"

_Happy place, happy place, I am in my bed and I just killed Vanitas, aah, happy place, happy place happy place of happiness-_

There was a moment of silence and for a second she thought that she really had made it to her happy place until Kamiki bit her lip and finally managed to get out:

"I've never told anyone why I want to become one." She raised her head and snapped, "Unlike show-offs like you!"

This hit him hard as he raged, "You little bitch-!" and grabbed a fistful of her collar as if preparing to punch her. This got her out of her chair, textbook and happy place completely forgotten.

Izumo glared daggers and got ready to slap him, but somehow ended up hitting Rin just as he stood up thinking the same thing as her, no doubt.

"That hurt." He growled before bursting out: "If you're gonna fight, do it somewhere else!"

Expertly popping in between the two bickering students, she pushed them each by the face at arm's length as if to say _shut the fuck up! _Which was basically the point.

At that moment the worst possible thing happened:

"That's enough!"

The entire class turned to see a very annoyed, eyebrow-twitching Yukio standing at the door. Her skin crawled. _Shit. _

"Why don't you all try behaving yourselves?"

And then the universe proceeded to implode.

* * *

**A/N: Chiho really does have creepy-ass dreams. But remember this because it's an important plot point ;) **

**Was I too late updating this? I tried my best and literally started writing again right after updating the last chapter xD Also I'm home sick with a fever so I had more time to update this than usual. (srsly though i hate being sick ugh ;P) **

**And yes, I understand that Faceless Words is getting a lot more attention than I'd originally thought. So the usual thank you to all my reviewers, followers, fave-ers, (that's not even a word) and really just all my readers! Please don't be shy to leave a review, especially if you're a ghost reader or haven't left a comment on it until this point. I'll accept them all because they're really inspiring and bountiful after posting new stuff. :)**

**Hm. I don't have much to say this AN, but one last thing: For those of you wondering how she can see without eyes, don't worry there is a reason for this. It will be revealed later in the story, which I have mostly planned out. So calm yourselves! xD**

**Anyways, feel free to leave your reviews and see you next time! Thanks for reading!**


	16. Dancer in the Dark

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Everything except for my imagination and OC belongs to Kazue Kato and the rightful owners.**

* * *

_Dancer in the Dark_

She was well aware of the fact that this was no ordinary school. Magical keys, demon rituals, miasma, principals who collected otaku figures. The list could go on.

But who the hell issues punishment by putting _demon rocks _on their laps?

Well, at least it's another thing she can add to her list of growing problems _and _the list of reasons why this academy is screwed up.

She really needs to write these down.

Anyways, back to the present day.

It was already dark out by the time they reached the dorm, but it was anything but peaceful upon returning. Yukio had them all sit down in a line in an empty room and put a pebble on each of their laps. It seemed harmless until they started rapidly expanding and kept going until a fully-sized torture device was sitting right on them.

"W-What's with this stone?" Rin groaned in pain from beside her. "It's getting heavier!"

_Yeah, I realized that! _She gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the weight of ten thousand anvils crushing her legs into the floor. By then she'd lost all feeling in them and blood circulation._ Ugh, and this wouldn't have happened if two people had just shut their faces. _

She'd made sure to sit next to Rin in case he decided to do anything dumb. Izumo was on her other side and Bon was sitting on the other side of Rin. Hopefully it was a good enough barrier to keep them from killing each other for the next two minutes.

"It's a low-level demon too." Konekomaru squeaked out. "It gets heavier… while you hold it."

_Well, I don't like hugs either but I would never turn into a freaking boulder and crush them for it! _She tried rubbing a hand over the rock and then on her legs to get the blood back into them. It wouldn't budge. Chiho angled her head to the window, which was still dark out. How long was he going to keep them like this? Yukio really was bipolar sometimes.

"You don't even know about Ghost Stones?" Bon grunted. "Pathetic."

She clenched her hands tightly into fists to refrain from punching him. _When did you get such a big mouth when you're the one who got us into this?! _

Luckily Rin communicated her anger for her with a snapped, "Shut up! It's because you had to go and pick a fight that-"

"It's called collective responsibility." Yukio strictly interrupted, making all the student turn to him. "There's another purpose to this training camp besides studying." He paused to push up his glasses. "And that's strengthening your bonds with each other."

_B-Bonds? _She mentally stuttered. _What kind of _bond _are you seeing now? _

"I don't want to have any bonds with these people!" Izumo retorted, flat and too-calm as always.

_Aw, thanks, our bond of friendship is just _shining _today, isn't it? _She glared daggers at the violet-haired girl, resisting the urge to lean over and just headbutt her sideways. She noticed then how much she needed her best friend to keep her in check and prayed for her recovery before her arteries burst.

"You _have _to get along with each other!" Yukio's eyes narrowed, drawing their attention once more as his voice raised. "An Exorcist cannot fight alone!"

_So that's why he's been trying so hard to get me and Rin to behave ourselves. _She realized.

A moment of silent understanding fell in the room before he began talking again. Faintly she could hear the sound of crickets in the background and almost laughed at the irony. "Support each other's abilities and cover the weaknesses." He instructed. "Everyone fights in teams of at least two. In a serious battle, a quarrel in the team can lead to death! Think well about that."

Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat and rolled up a sleeve to glance at his watch. "Now then, I'll be gone for three hours on a mission." A tiny anvil began sinking into the pit of her stomach in anticipation. "However, due to the Ghoul incident yesterday, I'll lock every entrance to the dormitory and put up strong barriers around it."

"Lock the entrances?" Bon echoed. "Then how can we get out?" _Assuming that we ever do get to go out… _

"There's no need for you to go out." Yukio answered, drawing a collective 'eh?' from several students. _The _polite smile appeared and someone probably got hit by a bus somewhere in the world just then. "In the three hours that I'll be gone, you will all get along well and cool your heads."

_What?! Hey, wait-_

The slam of the door was the next thing she heard and she knew then that all hope was lost. Oh, the windows! Could they get out through the windows?

"Three hours… He's the demon here!" Shima wailed, looking quite blue in the face.

"Augh, I can't take this anymore. Are you guys really related?" Bon eyed Rin suspiciously, shaking from the weight. She was surprised the floors hadn't broken under them yet from the cooperative weight.

"H-He's a really nice guy." Rin weakly defended his brother while bowing his head and squeezing his eyes shut. "Somewhere deep within."

Bon 'tch'ed after glancing at Izumo briefly. _Crap! Shitstorm incoming, they made eye contact! Call the SWAT team, everybody stay calm!_

"We're in this nice situation because of a _certain _someone." Bon muttered, though not very anonymously.

"Hah?" Izumo raised an eyebrow and loudly argued, "Says the one who grabbed me by the collar!"

"And the one who started the fight to begin with?!"

_Happy place, happy place, I am in my bed and I just killed Vanitas, ahh, happy place, happy place-_

"Don't fight with me in the middle!" Rin snapped, cutting them both off:

And was completely ignored.

"You really are an annoying woman!" Bon pointed an accusing finger at her, every vein seeming to pop out of his face.

"Ha!" Izumo scoffed in return, and even Konekomaru and Shima started groaning at the pointless bickering. "Tell me something new. So what?" She asked with the most irritating smirk on her face.

"You'll just scare everyone away like that!" He spat.

For some reason, of all things he'd told her this seemed to have slapped her, making her eyes widen and an angry red appear on her cheeks, unable to respond.

In the meantime, some silent understanding passed through Rin and Chiho. With a commanding nod to each other, they pushed a palm into Bon and Izumo's faces to push them away from each other. They were just about to protest when suddenly a loud click resonated in the room and soon darkness covered everything. It happened faster than a blink, and her heart nearly leaped into her throat.

"What?" Shima yelped, and Shiemi let out a startled squeal from beside him.

She wished once again that she could blink to will herself to adjust to the darkness quicker, but by now she could make out some of the simpler shapes of the people around her thanks to the faint light coming in from the windows. Her mind's gears started turning, clunking, thinking of the fastest route and best way to keep safe in the situation.

Every spark went on overdrive, body ready to jump at anything. In short, the survival instinct kicked in, and she quickly reached out to latch onto Rin's wrist.

The raven-haired boy nearly shrieked. "W-Who the hell is that?! Kyohei?"

_Stay close. _She wished she could say. _We wouldn't want to start moving until we can see everything properly. _

Now then, the strange thing about Ghost Stones is that they're the opposite of most demons. In the darkness, they shrink and revert back to their pebbled forms, which is precisely what happened after. Unfortunately for Rin, due to the force of her sudden tug on his wrist, his rock tumbled forward and onto his foot before turning back into a pebble. As he clutched his toes and hissed in pain, she gave up on holding him.

"What's going on?" Bon rubbed his knees, and she was now able to see a bit more clearly in the darkness. "Did he turn off the lights, too?" Chiho fought the urge to run over to the windows where some of the light outside illuminated the floors there.

"That can't be it!" Konekomaru gasped.

"Then… a blackout?" Izumo turned from her crouching position.

"No, look." Shima pointed to the windows, and she thanked him for doing so. "There are still lights outside."

_Why would the light only go out in this building? Aren't we the only ones here? _She chewed the inside of her cheek, brain trying desperately to dig up an answer.

"Is this dorm the only one without power?" Rin asked, massaging his sore toes. _I know it's an old dorm, but… _

"Let's go out." Shima decided, carefully getting up and crossing over towards a wall to feel along. She reached for him but found nothing. _No, Shima, wait- _

"Shima-san, be careful!" Konekomaru shakily warned him.

"Heh, events like this always make me excited." He confidently said until he reached the door, and she felt her stomach overturn. "A real test of courage." Flashing a wide smile, he opened it.

The next thing she heard was the sound of it slamming shut. "Huh? I guess I haven't slept enough." Shima turned his head to the group to smile nervously. "I just-"

The terrifying sound of shattering glass hit her ears, and she nearly had a heart attack as a gray arm smashed right through the door and nearly decapitated her friend. Horrified, Shima let out a scream and stumbled back over to the Pages. _Shima! _

The world spun as she fell back on her rear and the door was kicked down to reveal two twin heads writhing at the doorframe.

_No… no, no, no, no, you're kidding. _She felt herself break out into a cold sweat from the unwanted déjà vu. _This isn't happening. _

The intoxicating reek of sulphur wafted through the room, and she suddenly wanted to vomit. _I… I've gotta do something. _Her hand was shaking so hard she could barely roll up her sleeve.

The students shot up from their sitting positions, so she followed suit, albeit trembling in her skin and almost tripping over her own feet from doing so.

"It's the Ghoul from yesterday!" Izumo cried, looking quite terrified herself.

"Didn't he put up barriers?" Konekomaru sounded as if he was about to lose it.

Before she could do anything, the Naberius raised a puffy fist that was held together with stitched patterns that began to snap open one by one.

She remembered how to move in that split moment and opened her mouth: _Duck! _

Too late.

The reek of sulphur crashed down like a wave as the same burgundy liquid from yesterday burst from the fist, splashing onto their clothes as they barely managed to shield their faces in time. She reached out to brush it off but drew back; touching it would burn her fingers.

"What _is _this?!" Rin shouted, lifting his arm away. She found herself grabbing his wrist again to look at his injuries. _Shit, it's gotten onto your skin! It'll burn through it! _

"Ugh, it's miasma!" Izumo gritted her teeth.

_S-Sword. _She mentally stuttered, brain attempting to re-boot. _Gotta get my sword out. _

Just as she was about to start, she turned to Shiemi, who was already talking to her small familiar. "Nii-chan! Can you give me eely-billy?" With a chirp in response, the strangest thing happened.

Brown roots exploded from its tiny stomach, branching out and covering more than half the room in a wooden barricade with a few holes in it as a sharp root pinned the Ghoul to the wall. It wasn't quite a solid wall, but the roots looked sturdy enough to hold it back for a while. There was no way its giant body could fit through it.

The group stared in shock. "A-Amazing."

_W-Wow. Okay. That little guy is stronger than I thought. _

Cradling it in her hands, Shiemi nuzzled the Green Man affectionately. "Thank you, Nii-chan!"

Relieved, Rin walked up to the roots and placed a hand on them. "You saved us, Shiemi. Thanks to you…"

There was still a growling noise inside the makeshift forest that didn't let him finish his sentence. She leaned forward, looking a little closer to see that the Ghoul was splitting itself right into two, each head turning into another demon entirely. It hit the floor with a sticky 'slap' and a burst of limbs erupted from the sliced wound. It took less than a second to get up again and start tackling the barricade, and bits of wood began to fly.

_Get back! _She reached forward and yanked Rin back by the arm, racking her brain for options.

"I-It's coming!" Shima squeaked, face deathly pale.

"Damn. It's lively for a corpse!" Rin's eyes narrowed.

"The Ghouls get really active when it's dark." The crease between Bon's eyebrows crinkled up again in thought.

_Then we've gotta find a way to get the power back in our building. Damn, I can't remember where the control room is! _She licked away the blood from the inside of her cheek.

Suddenly a small cough came from the short blonde, who was still holding her familiar. She sank to her knees and kept choking.

Rin turned to her, as did everyone else. "Shiemi, what's wrong?"

She lifted a hand away from her mouth to answer weakly: "I feel dizzy…"

A wave of heat seemed to have simultaneously struck them, because her body burst into a ball of sickly heat and her lungs seemed to have either shrunken and a scratchy itch suddenly scraped at her throat. Shortly after the whole group was having a whole coughing fit that made her head pound. Why did she feel like she had a fever now too? She suddenly wanted to rip off her hoodie from the dizzying sensation it gave her. She staggered back to the wall to lean against it as a burning prick stung the area of her eyes.

"What happened?" Bon struggled to get out, pulling at his collar to fan himself. "It got so hot all of a sudden!"

"What's wrong with you guys?" Rin looked frantically around him. She lifted her face out of the inside of her elbow. _What? Why aren't you affected by it? _

"It's because of the Ghoul's miasma." Izumo cracked an eye open to reply. "Doesn't it bother you?"

Chiho listened intently for an answer and was shocked to only hear him stutter a few words before Rin yanked out his cell phone, eerily illuminating one portion of the room.

He pushed anxiously at the buttons. "Dammit Yukio, where did you go?"

Bon glanced over at Shiemi and did a quick deduction of the situation. "If Moriyama-san's strength runs out, the barricade will be gone. Then we'll be done for."

_Oh, thanks for the news flash, Captain Positive! _She swung her attention back to the roots as she smothered her nose and mouth with her sleeve. She knew yelling for help wouldn't be of any use; no other teacher was in the building. _Shit. What do I do? I can't attack it while it's in there, and I don't know its Fatal Verse. It would be suicide to go in alone, but that wall won't hold forever. _

Her heart sank at the sound of a dial tone. "He's not picking up his phone. In that case…" Rin stuffed the phone back into his pocket and walked towards the roots. Pricks of alarm poked into her skin. _No, wait-_

"What are you doing?" Bon seemed to have momentarily recovered from the miasma attack.

"I'll go out and lure it away." Rin explained too calmly, and her body froze in surprise. "If it follows me, you guys get out of here."

"Huh?" Bon communicated her shock for her. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm stronger than I look." Rin tried to reassure the group as he hoisted a leg up and over the root.

_You idiot, what are you thinking? You asking for a death wish? _She tried to follow him, but he started climbing up through the wood already. Before he could get away, she clamped a hand over his shoulder and hoped it wasn't shaking. _Stop it! _

She nearly fell over when he laughed and pointed at her. "What's with that worried look? It's creepy! I'll be fine, Kyohei, so just wait for me!"

_But- No, wait, don't go, you'll get yourself killed! _She opened her mouth but quickly shut it, aware of how strange it looked. Her hand slipped from his shoulder and stood there, blankly watching him risk his life.

"You- hey! Come back, Okumura!" Bon yelled for him, but there was no response.

"Okumura-kun!"

"Stop, don't do it!"

_I'm… so weak. _She realized then. _I'm so weak, and Rin is so brave. He just wants to protect everyone. Why can't I ever protect him? _

"You're after me, aren't you?" His challenging voice rang out from the other end of the room. "Bring it!"

She cringed upon hearing a loud smash and a yelp coming from Rin as thuds resembling earthquakes pounded down the hallway until they were nearly gone, leaving a group of students stunned in silence.

"What is he…" Bon muttered in awe.

"A-Anyway, let's get out of here while we can." Shima suggested, trying to take the lead of action but she barely heard him. She felt like she'd just been dunked underwater. "Moriyama-san, you can lower the barricade now."

At the mention of her name, Chiho got down on a knee and shook her shoulder gently. She looked like she was about to faint with her familiar still in her hands. _Shiemi… Shiemi! Are you okay? _She couldn't get a response out of her and gritted her teeth. _Damn. I've gotta hurry and get her medical attention. _

She held her breath for so long she nearly fainted herself. Finally settling on a decision, she shoved her phone into Bon's face.

_[I'm going after him. Take care of Shiemi.] _

The second she saw a reaction she turned towards the roots and started lifting herself into them.

"Oi, Takahiro, not you too! What're you thinking? Do you wanna die, because my fist's right here!" Bon shouted before stomping over to her and grabbing her leg. "Takahiro-!"

He was cut off to a blade nearly pricking his neck, and his eyes widened as he tried to stutter a protest.

This time the way she had summoned it had been reversed. The hilt of the sword was still embedded inside her flesh, only summoning it enough to have the tip almost piercing his neck as she froze mid-climb.

She tried to glare at him as best she could. _Don't follow me. _

When he seemed to get the point and his hand slipped away, she pressed the sword back into the tattoo and carefully pushed herself into the provisional forest and was pleased to find no splinters splitting her fingers open. She was still a little weary when it came to climbing things, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. Thankfully nobody noticed when she tripped and slid off a branch, doing some sort of strange somersault towards the completely-smashed doorway. She picked herself up and stumbled out of the room.

* * *

The damage was significant. A whole row of windows had been shattered and the wall broken in; the Ghoul had definitely crashed into it while chasing Rin.

She sucked in a deep breath as she came to her conclusion: _I have to protect him. I promised Yukio I would. And if I don't protect him, no one will. _And it was just that simple.

Her lips moved quickly to recite the summoning words, and soon a pale blue light shone. But as she cast her eyes to the ground she saw a drop of crimson splattered on the ground. After she had her sword in a hand, she moved her forearm further down the hallway to reveal a trail. A spark of alarm went off in her brain.

_Whose blood is that? Rin's? _She was getting a lot more panicked about him than she'd wanted to admit. She stood in the hallway for a moment, wondering if she should go outside and get help. But there was no time to waste; she'd have to settle it here before somebody died. Going for help would wait until later.

Trying not to shiver out of her own skin, she started sprinting down the hallways, following the trail of blood with the light.

She had no idea how long she'd been running. Her feet hurt from how hard they were hitting the ground, but she refused to stop despite the toxic fear drumming through her veins. Their dorm was eerier than ever. Everyone else was right to call it a ghost hotel. She paused once in a while to check for a sign and also to glance behind her to see if a Ghoul was following her. Gulping down her superstitions, she pushed on until she saw a figure walking in the distance.

She ran a little faster, hope filling her every pore. _Rin! Rin, is that you? _She gripped onto the wrist of whoever it was, but realized too late she was wrong. The sleeve was long. Rin wasn't wearing a coat.

Neuhaus.

She flung her arm back, releasing him as if she'd just been struck by lightning upon touching him. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly in both her hands, holding it forward and ready to defend even though her arms were shaking from shock. Everything had clicked into place in that split moment alone; the blood, the smell of sulphur, the Ghoul type demons. Suddenly she just wanted to strangle him more than anything.

"I'm surprised you found me." His deep voice rumbled, and she nearly jumped again. "Takahiro Kyohei. Or should I say…" The teacher turned to reveal a single blue eye and inscriptions all over both his arms. "Murakami Chiho, the victim of envy."

Her heart stopped pounding, turning her blood cold. He knew? Victim of envy? What did that mean?

The sword fell limply with her arms, dropping in front of her as her body shook in ironic laughter. She almost scared herself as a mad grin stretched her lips wide. Her hands trembled as she snapped the sword in half, forming another wolf-shaped pommel as another blade formed on the other half. Elegantly twirling in her fingers like giant pencils, she crossed the daggers in front of her before poising them at her sides.

_That's great! _Her lips actually moved with her thoughts, further startling her. At the time her brain didn't care if he could hear her or not. _If that's the case, then let's dance, sadistic asshole. _

"You really intend to battle me?" Neuhaus sounded as if he was about to laugh. "I don't want to have to deal with you, but it won't take long. Fine then."

She seemed to have been brought back to the surface momentarily as the sight of him taking his pointed needle and stabbing it into the skin of his forearm, showering the small circles that adorned the length of his arm in crimson. He barely flinched.

The madness was quick to pull her under again, and the crazed grin reappeared as she dug her shoe into the ground and lunged for the kill, unsure of what she was doing in the first place.

The now-familiar reek of sulphur attacked her nose as detached, gray hands flew towards her as if ripped off a corpse. Senses on overdrive, she spun around the assaulting fists and kicked and slashed, limbs moving every which way as if she was moving to a certain beat and her heart slamming against her ribcage was the metronome. She didn't quite look elegant or graceful as she jumped around the hands and sliced them in halves, but it was strange. It was as if her body was being pulled by puppet strings.

Yes, it was here. Here was the place. She was dancing freely.

Her hood had long fallen off, but there was nothing to lose. He already knew her secret, so now she could focus on killing him. Making the most of her twin daggers, spinning them in her fingers as she shoved a foot into the floor and kicked off of it, performing a messy backflip before ducking to avoid another fist.

She realized too late what she had done as Neuhaus stabbed himself in the opposite arm, threatening to repeat the cycle. _Shit. _

Her chest heaved, back soaked with sweat. The second she stopped moving, her body automatically began melting and wobbling. She used the back of her hand to wipe away the perspiration as well as push the sticking locks of her wig away.

"You're fast." Neuhaus remarked, yanking the blade out of his skin. Beams of moonlight shone through the hallway windows, eerily illuminating one half of his face and making the rivers of blood shimmer in the light. "But I've already seen your fighting style. You dodge what you can and then counterattack when you see an opening, occasionally using your daggers to block. And you lack stamina greatly without even making the first move. It's disgusting, really." A low chuckle escaped his lips as he glared. "It's like watching a broken ballerina."

This made her blood boil somewhat, though it didn't completely start steaming since he was right. She'd never seen it that way before, but her body did feel incredibly light during the sequence. A broken ballerina may have been an accurate comparison, but she was too tired and angry to care as another shower of fists began streaming out of his skin.

_I've got to do something, quickly. _She thought as her heart drummed so hard it threatened to rip out of her chest. _If I use up any more stamina before I knock him out, I'm done for. _The girl racked her brain for options as she crossed her daggers. _If he loses enough blood, he'll pass out eventually, but… _The thought wouldn't finish as the process began once again.

This time around she could barely see anything, and her limbs and every movement felt as though it were being ripped through time and being slowed. It was so heavy, and she could feel herself rapidly becoming messier and clumsier with her moves with every detached hand she avoided. White spots appeared in her vision either from fear, shock, or it was just blurred moonlight coming in through the windows. She could tell this time he was trying to keep her away from him because the hands kept aiming behind her feet and barely gave her enough time to recover after leaping and kicking over them.

At the worst possible moment in the midst of it all, a freezing hand wrapped around her ankle after she slid on the floor for too long, leaving herself open.

Her heart leaped into her throat as her mouth fell ajar. _Shit-! _

"Too slow!"

She cursed herself for not moving fast enough as she stumbled and tripped, not able to move properly with a hand anchoring her down. Two more hands grabbed her by the waist so tightly she could've sworn the thick fingers had pierced through her skin like drills. Opening her mouth to scream silently, she understood then how Rin felt on the night of the Ghoul attack as they suddenly jerked her to the right before flinging her out the window, sending her flying straight through the glass.

Time slowed.

It was surprisingly pretty. The fresh smell of night air hit her nose instead of sulphur for a moment, and the sharp shards of glass shone in the moonlight. A full moon seemed to have been pasted onto the sky, lighting up the night with a pale shine. From her blurry vision, each piece of glass sparkled and looked like silver rain. In fact, she didn't even feel like she was falling; she was floating in the night.

Then she remembered the law of gravity and time started moving again.

Her back slammed into the ground and the wind was automatically knocked out of her. She could almost hear the air escaping her as the fingers of the hands clawed into her skin and she rolled roughly onto the ground below, unsure of exactly how high she had fallen from. She yelped silently every time she felt a sharp prick of glass cut into her exposed skin and through her clothes as she kept rolling, definitely scraping off some of her skin in the process. The world became a swirling canvas of dark colours until she finally whirled to a stop on her side facing away from the dorm.

Her pulse was erratic as she lay there on her side, world still spinning and mouth wide open as she struggled to keep herself breathing. She ignored the pricks of pain coming from different parts of her body and the light-headedness she felt from lack of oxygen to focus on calming herself down. A shock of dizziness ran through her; was the fever returning? The effects of miasma probably were kicking in again. _Shit… not now. _

The hands at her sides and on her ankle disintegrated, removing a bit more discomfort when a teal flash coming from the direction of the dorm cast shadows over her body. _W-What? _

She tried her best to sit up and turn around and was blinded by a bright cerulean light flaring up in the night from one of the windows in the dorm. White spots sparked in her vision and it hurt so bad to the point where she had to squeeze her not-quite-there eyes shut and shield herself with an elbow.

_Ugh, what _is _that? _

But just as suddenly as it had flared up, it slowed down and withered to nothing in a matter of seconds. What the hell was that?

Sucking in a few more deep breaths and brushing some bits of glass off her, she grabbed her daggers off the ground and stumbled back into the dorm.

* * *

Something seemed to be biting into her. Maybe it was glass, maybe it was fear, but it definitely hurt. Her vision was beginning to blur around the edges as she ghosted a hand over the wall to support herself. Where was the room everyone was in before? More importantly, where was Rin?

With shaking hands, she managed to click the daggers back together into a full sword so she could carry it easily at her side. Her body was still weary from everything that had just happened, but she didn't want to let herself fall again. She knew she would be done for if Neuhaus found her again, and she tried her best to remain stealthy in case she ran into him.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up when a tall, dark figure appeared in the blackness walking towards her. Clenching her sword tightly in her hand and swallowing, she kissed her life goodbye for a moment before moving towards the invader as fast as her disoriented body would allow. When she started running, so did the figure. She let the world fall behind more blackness as she raised the sword high; unsure of what she herself was doing in the first place.

Something strange happened in that moment. Several inches away from the intruder she felt a familiar heat radiating off them. The nostalgic scent of grass and generic teenage boy deodorant struck her nose instead of the sour smell of death and sulphur. Yes… yes, she recognized this.

The sword clattered to the ground as a confused wave of relief crashed down over her. Her feet stumbled to try to come to a stop but didn't quite make it all the way. Before she knew it she'd bumped into an incredibly warm chest. Feeling something firm and tepid under her fingers, she opened her eyes again to see that her hands had ended up holding tightly onto his forearms. Actual skin, not sleeves like Neuhaus was wearing. And there was no blood on them.

"K-Kyohei? Where were you? Why are you out of the room? Is everyone okay?"

She almost fainted in relief upon hearing that voice again. She simply shook her head, refusing to say anything as she stayed bent over like that, still holding tightly onto his arms and bowing her head down into the firm area between his chest and stomach. Breathing in the scent she had grown used to, feeling the warmth that seemed to just burn off of him. As she stared at the returning beams of moonlight that had once been shrouded by black clouds, she wondered if maybe she could just fall asleep like this.

_Rin's safe. He's okay. _A soft, relieved smile touched her lips briefly as she exhaled slowly. _Rin's okay. _She didn't have the heart to be embarrassed at herself maybe because it felt like it was melting. Once again this boy made her feel things she didn't know she was capable of feeling. It was the first time in her life she was so happy to learn someone hadn't died.

Awkwardly two hands reached to grip her shoulders, shaking lightly and shaking her out of her trance. "Oi, Kyohei. You can hear me, right? I'll tell you what happened later, but for now we've gotta get back to the others to see if they're okay. The lights should come back on soon since I switched out some stuff."

The world reappeared, still staring at the moonlight covering the ground and their feet. Taking a deep breath and scolding herself for doing something so ridiculous (she would punish herself for it later), she let go of Rin's arms and took several steps away from him, rubbing her face as she picked her sword up off the ground.

She nodded sharply, and they kept running.

* * *

By the time they reached the room, whatever Rin switched out into the lights hummed and flickered back on.

They broke into the already-broken up room. "Oi! Was there another one here?" Rin called, stumbling in.

It took a while for anyone to process what had just happened. Shiemi had fainted, the puppet boy was curled up in the corner, Shima looked as if he had just been flung against the wall, and the remaining three students stared at the duo in absolute shock.

Chiho gave an awkward little wave. _Hi._

"Y-You…" Bon stuttered, unable to make a coherent sentence. "T-The other one?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I took it out." Rin proudly said, pointing a thumb to his chest before grinning at the rest of the group. "You killed yours, too? Amazing."

Bon seemed to try out his new rhino-persona attack on Rin just then, thundering towards him and straight-out tackling him. It seemed as though he were aiming for Chiho as well just then but she hopped out of the way just in time as Rin toppled over with a terrified shriek.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Bon shouted in a fit of pure rage. "Do you want to die?!"

Rin looked up at the rhino from his spot on the ground, waving a hand frantically. "W-Wait, why d'you wanna kill me-" Another shriek came out of him as he rolled away barely fast enough to avoid a bone-crushing stomp from the delinquent-looking boy.

Seeing as how things were fine over here, she left the two to figure it out and crossed over to Shima and the girls.

She knelt down next to Shima first, helping him sit up properly. _Are you okay? _

The strawberry-haired boy smiled at the sight of her, making her happy too. He didn't seem to be seriously injured.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Neuhaus and Yukio stepped into the room.

And thus the universe began to implode once again.

* * *

**A/N: I'm growing increasingly worried about 1) the length of these chapters and 2) how often I update them. This turned out to be a lot longer than I thought! I was originally planning on ending it when the Ghoul came in and apologize for making it so short, but then this happened. I hope it's not inconvenient. ^_^"  
**

**Thank you guys so much for almost 80+ reviews and 70+ follows! Please be sure to leave your review, I'd like to make it to 100+ reviews by the time this story is over. :3 Speaking of reviews, any critiques and advice are welcome! I would appreciate if you fabulous readers would leave a review telling me what your favorite part of the story has been so far. Just curious!**

**There's not much else for me to say, but I'll try my best to update in between school and whatnot. Thanks so much for reading! **❤


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